Living With Him
by Lady of Weirdness
Summary: AU Two different students, unknowingly, rent out the same apartment. With nowhere to go and short on cash, what should they do? "Why don't you just live together?" She responded so carefree, not-knowing the details that came into Yamato and Mimi's mind.
1. Apartment No 431

_Hey FELLOWS! Thought I might push my teenage mind wayyyy across the border. Don't ask me why. I just do this. Back to business, this piece has been inspired [like all my others] on one of my latest obsessions: the manga, **GOOD MORNING CALL**! The title of the series maybe seem a bit too...how should I say this, "sexual", but its PG SHOUJO!  
_

_YAY, SHOUJOs! YAY!_

_Good Morning Call doesn't belong to me...neither does Digimon. This goes as far as this story ends, without any arguments. Hopefully. So if you want to flame me, don't flame me because I said it belonged to me..._

_**WARNING**: Occasionally, I go through this thing where I keep reediting the story over and over again. Live with it please. Nothing really changes, I'm just weird like that.  
_

_Enjoy. _

* * *

Chapter 1: Apartment No. 431

* * *

_"Now, honey, you better be careful. You're still a young girl—"_

"Woman." Mimi corrected her mother and made a sour face at the older female on the other side of the phone line. With one hand occupying the pink communication device and the free one behind her back, Mimi swayed side to side with phone trinkets clanging against each other, hoping for the mother-daughter conversation to end soon.

_"You'll never know what happens. You'll also be by yourself. As matter a fact, I still don't feel comfortable with this idea. Maybe you should've come with us instead." _The older Tachikawa female groaned through the other line.

Mimi rolled her eyes."Okaa-san! (Mommy!) We've been through this already." Mimi sighed lifting her body from the wall. She took a step to start swaying back and forth, "It's too late for me to turn back. The movers are supposed to be arriving at the apartment after school. I just can't make them move it all back."

_"Hai, hai. Now you know what to do. NO MATTER WHAT—"_

"Oh, Okaa-san, _creech_," Mimi imitated static on her cell phone, "I think, _creeeech_, I'm-breaking—_creeeeeeeeech_—nection—_creeech_."

_"Stop it this instant!"_

"Okaa-san, are you—_creeech_—there?"

"IF SOMETHING HAPPENS I'LL PICK YOU UP!" Mimi's mom screamed, before her daughter press the end button. Mimi sighed with a small smile on her face. Not only was she able to successfully able to end the conversation, but she was also free. Yes, that's right, 16 years old, Mimi Tachikawa was now the proud—sole—occupant of Apartment No. 431. With her parents out of the country due to a job promotion, her new parental-control-less life would finally start after school. She couldn't wait! No curfews, no rules, no parental drama, the possibilities were endless...! And it all started today!

Mimi placed her cell phone into her pocket as skipped down the hall, merrily. At this point, she was in complete bliss. The strange looks coming from her schoolmates and teacher were not a problem for her. They were completely ignored for she had a place all for herself!

_"Mi-chan!"_ Mimi stopped in her tracks as a purple headed girl hugged her from behind with a playful giggle. Mimi turned to see her two closest friends, one on her back and the other on her side.

"Ah! Miyako! Koushiro-kun!" Mimi exclaimed still with that smile on her face.

"Mi-chan, was that your mother?" The one named Miyako asked, releasing her hold on her close friend as she placed her hands on her hips.

Mimi nodded as the trio continued to walk towards the genkan of the school where the shoe lockers were located. "She wanted to check up on me after they landed in America. I mean," Mimi started as she opened the metal door revealing her sneakers, "Sure, I'll be on my own, by myself, but she is worrying about nothing." She commented dropping the shoes on the floor. She pushed her feet into her sneakers while removing the uwabaki and placing them in the cubby. "I think she's even trying to bribe me to go with them to America. She bought me this cute cell phone." She added pulling the pink phone from her pocket as she shut the metal door closed.

"Chotto (wait), you're living by yourself?" Koushiro lifted his brow after he finish tying his shoe laces.

Mimi was about to answer when Miyako giggled as she gently pushed Mimi outside. Koushiro quickly got up and ran after the girls outside, making sure not to clash with any the wandering students. The three continued their conversation as they exited the campus gates and onto street traffic.

"Otou-san was promoted and relocated by his company. Therefore my parents are moving to New York. Instead of wasting school year, I insisted to just finish school here. Besides..." Mimi's voice trailed off.

"There's a '_besides'_?" Koushiro asked Miyako, while Mimi ignored their conversation and started to feel herself drift into dark tension.

"Well, eventually, she would say it..." Miyako whispered.

"It's either have my own apartment or live with my auntie who lives in a farm." Mimi's face sank, thinking of the new life. She remembered farm. It was a vast amount of land with tons of cattle and chickens. Normally, she enjoyed visiting them in the country side, but to live there... that was a different story. Mimi sighed, "It would take me an hour to go take the train and bus. She's even very strict."

"But all and all you're here, and that's what matters." Miyako smiled patting her companion on the shoulder.

"Aw...Miyako..." Mimi squealed as she gave Miyako a hug. "You always know the right words to say to make me feel so much better." The two girls giggled with a smile.

Suddenly Koushiro stopped his tracks. "Miyako-san, did you bring it?" Koushiro leaped to catch up with the two.

"Bring what?" Mimi questioned.

Miyako cocked her head to the side. After a brief moment, her eyes widened. "You're right!" Miyako exclaimed as she reached into her school bag rummaging through its contents. "Ah… I'm positive that didn't forget it. Thanks for reminding me. Jan~!" Miyako cheered raising a wrapped bag with a very shinny pink ribbon from the bag. "This is a housewarming gift from Izumi-kun and me!"

"Re-really? This is so cool! Can I open it?" Mimi spoke all in one breath as her hands greedily obtained the package.

"Um...okay." Miyako and Koushiro started at each others eyes as Mimi tore the wrapping paper off. Mimi finally pulled the piece off and saw a green plaid color. Thinking it was shorts, she held it up on the air. Moments later, she gasped at the sight.

This... this isn't what she thought it was.

"Me-men's b-boxers?" Mimi stuttered. She held the clothing as if they were dripping with slime as Miyako and Koushiro smiled.

"If you hang this over your window, thieves will think there is a man in the house." Miyako smiled pointing his index finger "as-a-matter-of-fact".

"So, they won't bother to steal or harass you. Plus you can use them as shorts!" Koushiro said in the same way.

Mimi stood looking at the clothing with her face blank. Slow winds whirled by and still no word. Her surprised, horrified expression instantly melted to a laughing one. Mimi laughed with a tear forming in her eye, "You guys are the best! What a joke!" She continued to laugh.

Koushiro and Miyako did the same with a hint of _this-is-really-the-present-we-picked-out-for-you _tone. "That was hilarious! Even my tears are coming out. Arigatou!" Mimi hugged Miyako as smile spread across their faces.

"Izumi-kun got it," Miyako spoke as Mimi loosened her hug. "I thought of it."

"And that pair hasn't been worn yet!" Koushiro chuckled. Expecting his joke to be like the other jokes thrown around, Koushiro's chuckle slowed down to acknowledge the silence from the girls.

"A-are you saying these are your old boxers, Koushiro-kun?" Mimi asked giving him a suspicious face.

"I can't believe you, Izumi-kun!" Miyako gasped in a joking manner, though Koushiro didn't seem to find it hilarious.

"I meant it's new!" Koushiro yelled as red started to consume his face; the same color as his hair. "I can't believe you guys." He groaned as his arms crossed across his chest.

Mimi placed the back of her hand near her mouth to allow the giggle to quietly exit from her mouth. The small action caused her to take a peek at her watch. "Oh, I gotta check on the place." Mimi muttered looking at her friends. "Once everything is a-okay, I'll invite you guys over. Ja!" Mimi waved as she crossed a street, separating herself from her friends.

"Ja ne!" Miyako spoke as she and Koushiro waved goodbye. Once the vision of Mimi was gone, Miyako then angrily looked at Koushiro. She lightly pushed the red head showing her angry expression, "_that pair hasn't been worn yet_?"

"What?" Koushiro sweatdropped rubbing his arm. He shook his head back and forth as he continued to walk his way home. Miyako caught up with Koushiro and wondered why he had to make an awkward comment. And then it hit her. Miyako's stared and smirked at Koushiro a way that he that not too fond of. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked feeling Miyako's eyes.

"You still like her, don't you?" Miyako said through her grinned teeth and a nudge.

Koushiro made a mixture of a groan and a shrug. He continued to walk home as the persistent romantic Miyako continued to further provoke him.

* * *

_No. 431_

Those two words echoed in Mimi's happy mind. After Mimi pressed the button for the fourth floor, the elevator doors closed. The sudden force of the moving case going up caused her to sway back and forth.

It was going to be her's... all her's! She remembered the day she saw the advertisement in her own bedroom. This spaced seemed too good to be true! It possessed a large living space, a kitchen, two bedrooms each containing it's own closet, one full bath and a balcony peering the skyline. Best part about it? It was for a really good price! Real good. Almost unbelievably good. And what's even better? It was all Mimi's. Having an extra bedroom was perfect if anyone had wanted to sleepover. She could even possibly convert that space into a study room. Choices, choices...

As soon as the door stopped and opened, Mimi skipped merrily out of the elevator door. She looked at the numbers written outside each small plaque near each door. Her nose wrinkled. Maybe she was too excited. Maybe she was…no, she was defiantly excited. She started at one door and counted down.

433.

432.

Finally, there was room 431... 4-3-1.

Mimi smile grew wider as the name echoed through her mind. She reached deep into her pocket and scowled. '_Where is that key?_' Got it! She took her key out and opened the door. Perfect fit. She turned the key with the knob. It opened easily. '_Finally._'

As the door silently creaked open, Mimi stood in amazement on how the room was set. She left her sneakers on the genkan of the apartment and walked further in. Following the walls, the first thing she encountered to her left was the kitchen, already decorated with a refrigerator, and a small wooden counter top window peering into the small dining room area and living room. She was no chef, but she knew that the space was good enough. She walked further in and noted the large spaced living room. There was MORE than enough space for the furniture that was coming in shortly. She gasped seeing a small bonus on the wall: central air conditioning. She squealed. She walked further in and saw the bathroom that took a good chunk of the living room. It was divided into two spaces, one for the bathtub the other for the shower. She walked out and saw something she'd been waiting for... the great sliding door that lead to a fantastic view. Mimi smiled to herself as she followed down the hall passing the two opposite bedroom doors and stepped out onto the balcony. The sun was still high and the noise from the streets below echoed it's way up. Mimi turned and leaned on the railings and noticed the two other sliding doors on opposite ends of the one she entered.

"No way! The bedrooms has an entrance to the balcony too?" She exclaimed said to no one in particular. She sighed and finished it with a smile. Walking back inside, she sat on the floor, basking in all of the glory the apartment had to offer. "This is all mine!" Mimi couldn't help but smile looking at the apartment once more. "All mine!" She exclaimed as she stretched her arms and fell back onto the floor. Sighing to self, "What's the first thing I should do?" She asked as she got up and saw boxes pilled up on the side. OH! Unpacking seems like a good idea.

"But something seems strange here." Mimi cocked her head to the side as she moved herself near the boxes. "How did the movers get in here before I did?"

Mimi felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see a handsome guy right behind her. By her analysis, he was tall, about one or two years older, blond, blue-eyed, and... aggravated? Mimi felt somewhat strange toward this guy. She felt as if she met him before but didn't know when, how, or even who the heck he is.

There was natural sense of logic here somewhere... a random guy in the apartment... had she left the door open before she went exploring in the apartment?

"What are you doing here?" He started, yet Mimi continued to look at him dumbfounded, "What are you doing here?" Silence. "Oi! What the heck is wrong with you? Aren't you even listening to me?"

"Heh?" Mimi snapped from her train of thoughts, "Gomen, I wasn't paying attention."

He sighed out of annoyance. He scratched the back of his neck. He looked at her with a small glare "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Excuse me," Mimi replied, continuing to stare with a confused look. Now the natural sense of things were starting to become clear, "I should be asking you that!"

"What are you talking about? Starting today, I live here." He replied. Mimi's mouth hung open. There was no way he could be living here. She paid for this apartment. It was her's! The living room, balcony, everything! She has a key for goodness sake!

"Well?" He paused, "Get out! You got the wrong apartment, lady." He spun Mimi around and tried to push her out the door. With her quick reflexes, Mimi simply placed her hands on the frame of the door, causing the man difficulty to push her out. "I-" He paused to grunt, "said, 'get—" grunt, "—out!"

"Listen, pal. I like jokes as much as the next gal, but-" Mimi voice struggled as he tried to push her out, "I-am-living-here!" Mimi made her body sink towards the floor, causing the man to stumble a little.

He turned to Mimi and said with a darker glare in his eye, "How could that be?"

Mimi dug her hands into her pocket and took her key out. He stared at the metal object as he did the same. They had the same shape, size, and glowly glare. They looked at each other in questionably and got the same idea, "We need to see the agency!"

"I'll go call them," he replied as he headed toward the boxes.

"Wait!" Mimi cried, following him. She cringed as the man opened the boxes and started rummaging through them. "Those are my boxes!" Mimi stomped a foot down. "Hasn't your mother ever tell you not to look through a woman's belongings?"

"Does your boxes contain pairs of men's underwear in them?" He retorted. Mimi quickly retreated with blush seen on her cheeks, thinking of Miyako and Koushiro's house warming gift. The man took it as her backing-down from the argument, "Then back off."

Mimi was about to make a comeback but the sight of actually seeing an unfamiliar telephone come out of the box made her question. Her eyes followed her gaze follow him as he went to a nearby phone jack and plugged in the cord. He sat on the floor grabbed the phone and quickly dialed. She walked up to him and stood behind him. She spoke in a small voice, "Are all those boxes yours?"

"I brought them all up here by myself." He grunted pressing the button that rested his call. His fingers frantically dialed the number again.

Mimi gasped at his response and thought, '_Then where the hell are mine?_'

_ "We're sorry, the number you have dialed has been disconnected, please-" BANG! _"Shit!" he cursed as his hand violently shook on the receiver. "What the hell is going on?" He groaned as he slammed the receiver down. After a brief moment, he stopped his shaking and looked up. He turned to Mimi and stared with her with a glare ten times worse than before. "You!"

"M-me?" Mimi stammered.

"Come with me!" He walked over to her and grabbed her arm.

"O-oi!" Mimi's eyes widened. He gripped her wrist as he forcibly opened the door, slipped their shoes on, and dragged her out the door with him. Mimi, both scared and confused, thankfully closed the door while following the angry blond to the door leading to the building's staircase.

"Where are we going?" She asked as the man's grip got tighter as they walked down the stairs together.

He grunted, "We're getting this settled once and for all!"

* * *

_Out of Business. Gomen Nasai!_  
-Portable Homes

The words flew by just like that. Both Mimi and her supposed abductor stared at the now abandoned office space.

'_This can't be happening._' Mimi's eye twitched looking at the sign. '_Please tell me I just got get jipped._'

Mimi's attention turned to the guy after she heard him made a long, aggravated groan. Out of his obvious frustration, he kicked the door hard.. causing Mimi to jump back a bit. His eye brows furrowed. When he looked up to Mimi again with that same glare, she gulped loudly. He seemed like a very violent guy. And what's worse? He has the key to her home.

"Let's take this to the landlord!" He exclaimed grabbing her wrist once more.

"Eh?" Mimi screamed, "You made me run 15 blocks to this place and you want me to run back? Are you crazy?" She screeched with a crooked eyebrow.

He walked up to her and said with a louder voice. "I normally do not yell at women, **but **considering the fact that I had an _extremely _long day and my deposit on that apartment has disappeared, I have the right to be angry! I want my apartment!" He pointed a finger at her.

"Oi!" Mimi yelled back, allowing the fire within her ignite. She pulled her wrist away from his grasp and jabbed a finger into his chest. "First of all, I've been waiting all day for this too. Instead of hoping on a plane out of this country, I decided to stay here. Second, it's _my _apartment, so back off, buddy!" Mimi breathed heavily. This was starting to become too stressful of a day.

His glare towards her hardened. Mimi could see that he wanted to further express his anger, evidently went against it. Maybe it was because yelling at her wasn't going to change their situation. He turned around, making his back face her. "Com'on, I wanna get inside before it gets dark." He said sternly as he continued to walk. However, Mimi was not following. He sighed heavily as he walked back to her. With hands on his hips and a pissed expression on his face. "What is it now?"

"I'm tired." Mimi sighed, trying to stand up straight. "I was so excited about the new apartment, I forgot to eat lunch." She felt a sudden movement and saw the guy taking her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, "He-hey! What the hell is your problem?"

"If you don't feel like moving, I might as well carry you!" Mimi protested by kicking him violently. "Listen!" He said with a booming voice, causing Mimi to stop momentarily. "The sooner we get this straightened out, the sooner we can end this."

And with that said, he walked the direction towards their apartment building. Even though this was somewhat strange for her, she kind of liked it. His body was warm and comfortable. Mimi knew she had seen this guy before but she couldn't recall. What? Wait, was she _actually_ feeling some type of sympathy for this guy? Mimi _hmphed _inwardly as she closed her eyes, ignoring the strange glances from people were giving them.

* * *

Mimi gripped her skirt out of nervousness. Why was she here again? Oh, yes, because she wanted to keep that apartment to herself.

The old lady came back into the room, holding a tray of cookies, two cups and a tea pot. She was so cute with her little yukata and shuffling feet. She placed the tray on the table before them. She knelt down on her zabuton(1) as she prepared the tea for her guests. Mimi and the guy nodded graciously took the warm drink. The little lady smiled through her wrinkly skin and sat back comfortably.

"Now, let's see here." She stared correcting her reading glasses as her eyes gazed over her list. "Hmm...Portable Homes, you say?" The landlord lady spoke as she scrolled down, "They aren't listed as agencies."

"Well, apparently," he started, "They have rented an apartment to two persons; **very** different persons." He corrected as he took a glance at Mimi still pondering on the guy's resemblance.

"Well, we can't do anything about that." The old woman placed the list on the side. "Since you are already renting the place, you might as well pay the rent." She paused, "¥160,000 is due at the end of next week!"

The boy and Mimi stood up from the cushion still with widened eyes. "Sixteen- hundred-thousand yen?" they exclaimed in unison.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Mimi screeched, "The ad told me that the apartment was ¥85,000 only!"

"Mine too!" The man agreed taking out the so-called ad.

"Oh, hush, hush..." The lady motioned with her hands. She took the flier from the boy and read it. She looked up to the two teenagers and shook her little head side to side. "It's kind of hard to find a good apartment for only ¥85,000. Especially your apartment, 431. It's a nice space for a couple such as you two." She giggled covering her face. Yet, she quickly stopped seeing the red tints across their faces. "Or maybe Portable Homes actually went _portable_ with your money." She giggled to herself for the little pun she made. However, when she took a glance at the two's not so happy faces, she quickly retaliated.

The little lady cleared her throat. "How-how about an introduction? Just so I can remember names." She smiled adjusting her glasses.

"Tachikawa Mimi, 16 years old." Mimi bowed after placing her cup of tea down.

The boy sighed fixing his posture. "I'm Ishida Yamato—"

_'What? Did he just say Ishida Yamato?' _Mimi's eyes widened. "Oh god!" Mimi gasped, she turned to see the boy's profile and smiled. "Oh crap! Now I know! You're-you're Ishida, _the _Ishida Yamato! **AH~!**" Mimi squealed, causing the newly-discovered Yamato and the ladylord lady a shock. "I'm one of your biggest fans! I have your CD right here!" Mimi pulled out her CD from her school bag, "I know you're not entirely a big star yet and all, but I have felt the soul in your singing..." As Mimi continued to idolized, Yamato stared at her with blank eyes.

_'It all makes sense now! The reason why he's mad is because he won't be able to have his secret living space! No wonder he's an idol! I'm willing to bet he isn't really that mean in real life!_' Mimi's eyes began to see a dreamy pastel colors as her body began to swoon over him.

"Land lady-san," He said with a pleading voice, facing the old woman, "isn't it possible to clear this up as soon as possible?" Yamato commented as a sweatdrop appeared on the side of his head.

"Well, there might be a way..." She brought up her cup to sip her tea.

"Anything...onigei..." Yamato pleaded looking at Mimi.

"Why don't you just live together?" She responded so carefree, not-knowing the details that came into Yamato and Mimi's mind.

"You gotta be kidding me." He sighed. '_Me. Living with this nut?_' Yamato thought looking at Mimi who was now excited to be living with the Ishida Yamato.

* * *

"This is so stupid..." Yamato commented, back in their apartment, with his arms crossed over his chest. He and Mimi sat on the floor facing opposite from each other and pondered on the situation. "I don't want to pay for something that I don't even have the money for. It's just plain stupid." Yamato scratched the back of his head.

Mimi stared at her apartment-owning rival. "Can't you get your money from home?"

"This was gonna be my home!" Yamato shouted. "Don't give me that bull crap!"

Mimi's eye twitched, '_So much for not being mean in real life._' She shook the idea off. "I meant, couldn't you ask your parents for money to pay for the _actual _rent for this apartment?" Mimi retorted with furrowed brows, feeling her defensive side come alive.

Yamato stared at her for five seconds before retreating, "No, I can't. You?"

"I think I-" Mimi paused. Yamato lifted a brow for Mimi's sudden stop of words. Mimi looked down in disgraced and remembered her mother's last few words to her. A sudden large increase in rent money would cause a BIG problem. She's gonna get the next flight to New York... or worse, move with Auntie into that farm. Mimi sighed. "No, me neither."

The tension was cut thanks to Mimi's cell phone. It rang. She reached to her pocket and read the call description. "Okaa-san?" Mimi read with eyes wide. She stood up and walked towards the nearest window of the living room. She flipped open the communication device and spoke into it, "Moshi-moshi?"

_"Oh, yokatta (2), you're okay! Did you unpack?" _Mimi heard her Mimi sigh out of delight. _  
_

"Ha-hai! Un-unpacked!" Mimi responded feeling shaky.

"Lair~!" Yamato commented loud enough for the older Tachikawa to hear.

_"Who was that? Do you have a boy in your apartment?"_

"NO!" Mimi responded sweating, "It's my voice. It's been getting shaky lately. I think I must gurgle now. Ja!" Mimi hanged up without giving her mother another chance to say anything. Mimi held one hand around the base while the other pressed the device on her chest. She sighed out of relief, before turning to the blond boy and glared.

Of all the things he could have done, he had to bring up something that was gonna get her whole plan screwed. "Bastard..." She managed to mumble out loud.

"You're gurgling? You could have made a better excuse about a guy like me doing in your apartment." Yamato made sheepish grin.

Mimi blushed so red that steam was coming out of her ears. That's it! He's a fake! He cannot considered a great idol anymore! "Hentai!" Mimi stuck her tongue and walked passed the blond nemesis.

"You're the one who idolized me." He called back over his shoulder.

"Because of your voice and lyrics! Not for your good looks!" Mimi added looking through the bedrooms.

"So you think I have good-looking?" Mimi sighed imagining Yamato's smirking face. She closed into her bedroom behind her. Her boxes were nowhere to be found. She leaned back on her door and allowed her feet to lose it's friction as her body slid down to the floor. She sat there and faced Yamato with a small frown on her face.

He turned to her and leaned back to allow himself to fall onto the hard floor. "So," he paused looking at the ceiling, "what we are going to do now?"

"Well, there's always _that _plan," Mimi paused, moving her gaze towards her feet. Yamato raised a brow, requesting Mimi to complete the thought for him. "Maybe we can just move in together; plain and simple."

Yamato stared at her for a good second before replying with a strong, "Are you kidding me? Are you serious? Don't you even understand what you're saying?" He exclaimed moving himself towards her.

"We-we can have our own rooms. No one from our schools would even know we're living together. Plus, w-we can move out as soon as we find different _affordable _homes." Mimi shrugged laying out the details. "_You _can't pay for rent alone. _I _can't pay the rent alone. It would make sense we move in together and be roommates!"

"Over my dead body!" Yamato shouted blushing.

"We would save about 500 lower than we expected. Besides I got nowhere else to go." Mimi replied, "My family is gone off to another country. I have no home. My stuff isn't even here to comfort me..." Mimi started to tear. Her outrageous acting gene came over. She loudly groaned and moaned and buried her face in her crossed arms over the legs that raised them.

Yamato looked at her bluntly. Like every other guy, it's hard to resist a girl crying. He grunted walking towards "his" room. "Fine!" Yamato slammed the door of his room.

Mimi smiled to herself. '_Yes, one point for me!_'

Doorbell rang.

Mimi turned to the door and expressed a confused look. '_Who could be their first visitor?_' She was about to answer the door, but Yamato immediately cut her. He opened the door as Mimi peered over his shoulder. Yet, because of their height difference, Mimi rarely got a chance to see what was going on.

_"Arigatou gozaimasu._"

Yamato closed the door. Mimi stepped back to see that Yamato was holding three boxes of pizza. Mimi smiled at her roommate and followed his moving direction.

"Cool! You got pizza! Did you order salad too? I'm starving." Mimi smiled.

Yamato stopped. He turned to Mimi and made an I-can't-believe-you-said-that face. "I didn't get anything for you..." Yamato replied.

"De-demo...you have three boxes of pizza!" Mimi commented in disbelief following Yamato move again.

"They're for me. I have a big appetite right now thanks to all the stress I'm getting. I just eat a lot. Got a problem with that?" Yamato slammed his door as Mimi pouted in defeat.

"Ishida! Onegei?" Mimi whined. Mimi sank as low as her pout.

'_Hmph, he's such a dickhead!_' Mimi grunted as started to draw circles on the floor. '_You think you know a person till you live with him._' Mimi lifted her head and saw her reflection on the sliding door across the hall. She saw herself sitting on the floor, frowning for not having a share of _his _pizza. Her frown and gaze lowered.

'_Look at me, I'm all upset just because he wouldn't share pizza that he paid for. Maybe I am too selfish. Moving in together, asking for his food... no matter what I'm depending on him. I should probably learn to start being independent and just let him have his space. After all... half of this apartment is his._'

The door slowly opened, and nothing happened. Mimi looked up staring at the now opened door till his voice said, "Well, do you want to eat or not?"

Mimi smiled. '_Okay, maybe he isn't completely bad. There just has to be a middle ground._'

Mimi got up and walked inside. She watched him open a pizza box as placed it on top one of his moving-in boxes. He sat with his legs crossed grabbing a slice and took a bite out of it. His gaze met hers. He said with a full mouth. "You said you were tired earlier. You might as well eat."

"Nice place..." Mimi commented looking inside the room as she sat closer to the pizza box.

"Don't get used to it." He added. Mimi smiled with a small nod.

* * *

"Wow!" Mimi sighed, rubbing her belly. "That was good."

"That's only because you didn't pay for it." Yamato groaned walking back into the room after putting the empty pizza boxes away. He stood up and opened the door to his room, "Now you that you had your fill, you can go to your room and sleep."

Mimi looked down as she stood up from the floor. She walked towards the door, but stopped when she was near the door.

Yamato's eyes squinted.

"Ishida?"

He sighed. "What is it now?"

"My boxes didn't arrive yet."

Yamato paused momentarily, trying to understand what she was trying to hint."So?"

"The only thing I could wear is my school uniform." Mimi pointed to her clothes. Yamato made a slight blush the areas she was pointing to. She was hinting to a change of clothes. Yamato sighed. He walked towards his boxes and managed to take out a pair of plaid pajama pants and a white shirt labeled "07" with blue.

"Just wear these for tonight." Yamato tossed the articles of clothing to the brunette. "Tomorrow, I guess I'll help you talk to the moving company about your things. Oh! You will need a blanket too, but I guess this bed sheet will do." Yamato placed things on her arms and she just stared once more. "What?"

"Well, first of all, it's kind of scary sleeping in a completely bare room all by myself-"

Yamato raised a brow, "And you're asking to sleep here too?"

Mimi nodded.

Yamato groaned, "Fine."

Mimi looked down. "Gomen."

"Just change." Yamato walked towards the boxes looking for bed sheets and another blanket.

Mimi made her way to her empty bedroom. She turned on the lights and looked at the empty space. Mimi couldn't help but imagine the mirror reflection layout of Yamato's room, where he had his furniture was placed.

'_You've been in that room way too long._' Mimi grunted. She began to change into the change of clothes.

_Maybe sharing the apartment with him isn't that bad. He definitely has a nice side to himself. He may appear to be an asshole, but maybe there's something about him that I don't know yet. _

Mimi smiled as she pulled his shirt over her head. She couldn't help but take a whiff of the natural scent that Yamato had left behind.

'_OH MY GOD! What am I doing?_' Mimi's eyes widened as she shook her head of the thoughts. She returned to the room slightly blushing the fact that she's wearing men's—corection, Yamato's pajamas. In the dark, she saw Yamato already sleeping on his bed. Mimi made smile to herself.

'_It's kind of strange how we ended up getting stuck together like this. I never thought that this was possible._' Mimi thought as she took her bed sheet and lay down on the floor. '_Oh, God. If my parents ever found out about living here with Yamato, or any boy for that manner, they'll ship me back for sure. I wonder if this was a good idea…_'

"_What are you doing down there?"_ Mimi turned to see Yamato half-opened eyes facing her.

"I'm alright." Mimi smiled smoothing out the blankets.

Yamato saw through her fake smile and made a chuckle. "Do you want to sleep here?"

"Where?" Mimi's eyes widened a bit, wondering if he meant what she think he meant.

"Here." Yamato slipped open his bed covers as Mimi blush.

"Is...Wha...Are you kidding me? Why the hell-" Mimi stood about to debate.

"Just get in here, I'm getting cold!" Yamato grabbed her arm and closed the blanket.

"AH~!" Mimi fell on his bed and the blanket was shut.

"Damn...why are you feet so freakin' cold?"

"Ah..Ishi-Ishida! I'm better off sleeping alone."

"This bed is very narrow, so stop moving!" Yamato cover her tightly, "Here, now just sleep."

"Tha-that's not the problem here!" Mimi turned to see that Yamato was already asleep. "Forget dreaming! Hell, I don't think I'll be able to sleep!"

* * *

(1) _The little pillow they sit on when they are sitting around the Kotatsu Table.  
_(2)_ Thank goodness._


	2. The Visitation of the Chocolate and Ube ...

CHAPTER 2: _The Visitation of the Chocolate and Ube_ (1)_ Haired People_

* * *

The sun had risen from its sleeping paradise and softly looked upon Mimi. Her eyes winced from feeling's it's brightness. She opened her eyes slowly to see the sun welcoming her into a new day. She smiled to herself, "Hai! There's no school today, a new apartment and..." She turned to her side to Yamato smiling right next to her, "AH!"

"Morning, sleeping beauty..." He smirked making not only Mimi's eyes wider but her cheeks become warmer.

Mimi chuckled nervously, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why am I on your bed?"

"You're too pretty to be sleeping on the floor-"

"Then why didn't you sleep down there?"

"It's my bed. I have the right to do what I want on it." Yamato rose from his side and moved himself on top of her. With his arms on opposite sides, he slowly descended down to her as he licked his lips seductively.

"Ha ha," Mimi sweated trying to make a lighter atmosphere, "Very funny, Ishida. I-I know there must be a joke in here somewhere," He shook his head, "Any where?"

"No joke," His face was just a matter of millimeters away from hers. His raspy voice was deep. His breath was crisp as he spoke, "When you were in that school uniform earlier, I finalized that you were cute. Especially with that short skirt." He moved his lips towards her ear as he whispered to her ear, "That's then I decided I wanted you tonight." Mimi shuddered.

"But it's morning." Mimi laughed as she tried to lift the mood, "You can stop pretending."

"You talk to much, ya' know?" He asked. Before she could reply with her snappy comebacks, he pressed his lips against hers hard. Mimi, being overwhelmed, froze too shocked to do anything. She let his kiss continue, yet trembled when his tongue slipped through her lips. She felt his tongue explore the inner walls of her mouth as her fingers somehow ran though his hair.

'_What the hell is going on?_' Mimi asked herself as his continued, '_This is so weird, but it doesn't feel the least bit wrong..._'

_DING-DONG_

'_The door bell?_'

_DING-DONG_

The kissed stopped as Mimi closed her eyes and caught up with her breath. She opened them once more to see Yamato gone in a matter of seconds, "Yamato?"

**_IT SAID _**_DING-DONG** DAMMIT!**_

"YAMATO!" She screamed as she awoke from her dream. She bolted from the bed, still feeling the pressure of the kiss. She rubbed her head feeling the pressure of her sleep. '_Oh, dear. I can't believe I actually idolized this guy! He's such a pervert!_' Mimi paused, '_At least, in the dream he was. I'm so glad that that was **only **a dream._'

"Hmm..?" Yamato groaned picking himself up. He rubbed his still-sleepy eyes, "Hai? Nani?" Yamato turned as his stare met with Mimi. Her face became redder with embarrassment. She tried to move away from him. But after the nervous breakdown, she pushed Yamato's body into the wall next to the bed really hard. Not realizing how narrow the bed was, Mimi she rolled off the bed to fall on the floor.

"He wasn't joking when he said that it was a narrow bed..." She rubbed her bottom, still feeling a slight sting on her side.

_DING-DONG!_

"Holy crap! The door bell was real?" Mimi raced to the front door. Her sock-covered feet slid along the wooden floors as she continued to run towards the door. "Hold on!" She unlocked several locks and latches, "Just one more second!" Mimi cried as she did the last one. She satisfied herself as she opened to a boy in a what seemed to be a green uniform. He had a name of a moving company on back of his clipboard.

This guy was about the same height as Yamato and was probably near the age of 17 or so. He had a nice tan that matched very well with his chocolate brown hair, which more like a big mess of it. He seemed to be disorganized as he flipped through papers on his clipboard frantically. This made Mimi chuckle a bit. This guy seemed goofy, but really nervous about getting this job done.

"Hai?" Mimi finally spoke as she made her smile.

"Hmm?" The guy looked up and realized what he had to do, "Ah hai! Um... you are...Tachikawa Mimi, right?" He took a peak from his clipboard.

"That's correct."

"I'm from the company of Swift Move and I believe you wanted us to help-I-I mean, _assist_ you in moving into your _house-slash-apartment-slash-dorm-slash whatever the room is_..._space_," He recited getting occasional hints from the written answers on palm of his hand. He handed the papers to Mimi for signing, "Gomen nasai about your moving boxes. We weren't really...uh..._swift_ about it. De-demo don't blame the company! I-I have mixed up yours with a man-"

"Oh," Mimi looked away from the clipboard and towards the delivery boy.

"You shouldn't _oh_ anyway," He handed her the papers that needed to be signed, "This guy just answered the door completely naked, and he was the type _that only a mother would love_-" He stopped mid-sentence to see Mimi raising her eyebrow to him, "Gomen, I don't didn't mean to compare you to him. I-I mean because you're very pretty. I-I mean I didn't want to give you an image in this time of the day-"

"Don't worry about it," Mimi reassured as she smiled at him. She handed him back the papers, "There's no need. I just had a rough night, that's all." She continued to smile which triggered a smile from him. Damn, she knew how to flirty.

"Damn it, Tachikawa!" Yamato's voice echoed as Mimi froze, "One night, you sleep in my room; the next, I wake up with you in my bed! If that's not weird I don't know- what...is?" Yamato eyed the person at the door, while Mimi tried to cover herself from embarrassment.

'_Please, Kami-san _(2), _please don't make him shirtless. Please, **please** don't make him shirtless._' She turned around slowly to ensure that her wish was to slowly come true. She took a peek of what Yamato was wearing. '_Light blue pjs, okay so far so good._' Mimi calmed her mind, '_ Wait, there's nothing above the waist, not a good sign._' She stared to sweat, '_I see his chest! Ah crap! I see his goddamn chest! I was making such a good connection with this guy..._' Mimi frowned, '_and he was cute too..._'

"Taichi, you're working this early?" Yamato asked walking closer to the door. The boy smiled and pointed to the company's name on his jumper. "Oh, you're working. Let me help you with bringing the girl's things up."

"Iie, it's okay," The one named Taichi smiled, "The rest of the guys are coming up with her things. I had mixed these things up from the beginning anyway. I owe it to her." Taichi tipped his cap to Mimi who acknowledged it. Taichi made a goofy grin as he and the other movers placed several large boxes into one corner of the living room.

Mimi watched as the men piled the boxes together, more notably Taichi. After a while, he showed how uncomfortable he was in the jumper. He unzipped the top part of the jumper and rolled on his side, leaving him with a t shirt on that nice exposed the muscles on his biceps. He took a white shirt and wrapped it around his forehead, pushing his bushy brown hair down, Despite showing how strong he was, he really showed off an immature, sweet side. He often fooled around by telling Yamato a joke or two.

"Sorry about our mistake," He grinned while scratching his head to Mimi, "I hope everything's okay."

"Iie! I-it's okay..." Mimi blushed rubbing the length of her arm, feeling Yamato's larger clothes on her body, "Do come again sometime..."

Taichi's smiled became warmer to Mimi's eyes, "I think I will. Ja." He waved as Mimi watched him slowly leave. She gently closed the door as she leaned on the back. Letting her back slide down, she sighed on the fact of meeting such a cool person.

"His name is Taichi..." Mimi sighed.

_"And his surname is Yagami..." _Yamato commented, breaking Mimi's daydream. Mimi faced Yamato, who was in the kitchen. He opened the carton of orange juice located in the fridge and drank from it. Once he was finished, he made a refreshing sigh and lowered his eyes to see Mimi's pout. Wait, wasn't she near the front door?

"You know him?" Mimi's eyes narrowed.

Yamato stared at the girl and said, "He's my classmate. What's it to you?" He scoffed putting the carton back into the fridge.

"Well, it's hard to believe that _you_, above all people, know him." Mimi looked around the kitchen, "Plus, I think he is a really interesting person."

He laughed as he moved out of the kitchen, "If you're thinking of me introducing him-"

Mimi ran in front of Yamato and with puppy dog eyes she asked, "Would you?" Mimi's eyes started to shine.

"The answer would be _No._" Yamato commented walking into his room. He slammed and locked it. Crestfallen, Mimi frowned at the attempt of progress that she made. With a puffed furious face and clenched fists, she walked up to Yamato's door and started to knock (more like pounded) while tapping her foot.

"And why not?" Mimi continued to knock.

"Like I'm going to introduce a _body-pushin'-to-the-wall_ girl like you, to a good guy like him." Yamato shouted back still feeling the pains of that accident.

"It was _your _fault that you made me sleep in your bed."

Yamato blushed, "Na-**nani**? It was you who hopped on my bed."

"Only 'cause you told me to!"

_"I thought you were my brother in those pajamas!"_ His voice heard from behind the door.

"Do I look like a guy?"

_"With that kind of chest!"_ Mimi gasped, '_this is war.._' she thought. "_I knew from the first moment I saw you, I would have such a hard time living here!_" He continued to yell.

"That goes for the two of us, _buddy_!"

_"Bitch!"_

"Blonde!"

_"Weirdo!"_

"Smelly!"

_"Crossdresser!"_

Mimi gasped, remembering she was still wearing Yamato's clothes, "You take that back!" She shouted. Oh, boy, she's getting mad.

_"I can't help it if you like wearing men's clothing."_

"You know, as well as I do, that I didn't have a choice. If I didn't, I would prance around naked. I bet you would've like that!" She scoffed at the idea.

Yamato laughed behind the door. _"Trust me, I don't think there is anyone in the **world **who would want to see you naked..."_

"Yeah, right!" Mimi laughed in a sarcastic tone.

_"If you really detest me, give me back my clothes!"_

"Do you want me to wash off my _germs_ before I give your shit back?"

_"Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass if it has your germs! All I want is it given back by now!"_

"Well, we're arguing, dumbass!" Mimi scoffed with a wrinkled nose with rolled eyes.

_"Then stop arguing with me and get changed!"_

"Fine!"

_"Fine!"_

The two stopped their quarrel and turned away from each other. It was definite fact that these two would have a lot of moments together.

* * *

Moments later, a knock was heard from Yamato's door. Bringing all his attention to the sound, Yamato yelled that the door was open. With the door open, a blushing Mimi stood holding the clothes she worn last night. She didn't face him, instead her gaze was averted towards the empty hall.

"I'm returning this to you," Mimi commented still holding the clothing, not staring into the room.

"Obviously," Yamato sighed not looking at her. He took the clothing back, but noticed something odd about his appointed roommate. She was still outside his door, blushing. He looked at himself and saw nothing that would cause her blush. Then he looked around the room for something to blush about, which wasn't really anything to begin with. His gaze's attention went back to her along with his raised brow. "Is there something wrong? Is there a reason why you're so pink?"

"Hmm?" Mimi faced him. Yet, thinking about her body next to his semi-naked one caused her to blush and avert her gaze again, "Nope! Nothing-nothing at all!" She tried to control the sudden blood rushing through her cheeks, '_It was just a dream... nothing happened, it's all in your head. So why am I thinking about it? Kuso! _(3) _Is there ever an end to this?_' Mimi continued to battle herself, '_But then again, it did, sorta, felt- **IIE**! I can't give in, I won't!_' Mimi started to shake her head.

"I think you have problems," Yamato commented as he tried to slip pass Mimi's 'battle-between-me-and-inner-self' mode.

"Huh? Whe-where are you going?" Mimi asked seeing Yamato remove his house shoes, "I-I'm not done insulting you!"

"I'm going to work..." Yamato replied rudely before finishing tying the shoelaces of his sneakers.

"Na-nani? You're going to work? Today?" Mimi asked following Yamato out the door.

"Well, my half of the rent doesn't come from my parents..." Yamato replied pressing the elevator button.

"Eh?" She continued to pester him, "Somehow you manage to pay ¥80,000 by yourself?"

Yamato asked, "And this hard to believe?"

The elevator bell rang and opened. Mimi, now shocked, exclaimed, "How-how did you manage to do that? I mean, you're still studying!"

"Easy," He stepped through the doors and turned to face her. He pushed the lower level, smirked, and said, "Get a job, _hime-sama_(4)..." Before Mimi could make a rude remark, the doors closed one her. She grunted, "I knew that man was trouble from the very beginning...geez... what a bastard." Mimi sighed walking back towards the apartment. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it with her back.

She looked into the living room and saw the large boxes that guy, Taichi, and the others had brought in. Mimi approached them and opened one of the boxes. She recognized the kitchen appliances that she was allowed to bring with her. She then realized that most of her boxes required two guys. That meant these were heavy objects. At that moment in time, she wished she hadn't let him go that easily.

* * *

"Tadaima! (5)" Yamato's voice amplified throughout the apartment as he walked deeper in. It was around one in the afternoon when he returned. He placed his carried plastic bag on the counter window connecting the diving room and the kitchen. Next, he eyed the living room where there was a mix of his furniture and hers. Too bad it looked like she had dragged all this. Just picturing Mimi struggling to put the furniture to its proper place. Ha! This was a funny scene he wished he hadn't missed.

He left his spot and went into the bathroom, just as Mimi left her room and walked into the living room. "Funny," Mimi commented, "I swore I heard him say he was here..." She was about to sit on one of the chairs till she saw the plastic bag on the counter. It captured her curiosity as she continued to walk over to it. She opened it and saw two clear containers of shortcake with strawberries and whipped cream on top.

Mimi's eyes gleamed looking at the tasty treat. '_He must have bought one for himself and one for me! Wai! This is my favorite treat! I don't know how he found out but I'm so happy!_' Mimi thought as she reached in further to receive a fork. She pulled the tab to open the package, "Ikedekimasu! (6)" She dug her fork into the treat to receive a chunk and placed into her mouth. She squealed thinking, '_This is the best that I've ever tasted!_'

Yamato closed the bathroom door and walked into the living room to see Mimi on the counter. In return, she stared back at him. He walked closer to her saying, "Listen, you, what ever you do, don't-" Yamato cut his sentence short when it hit him what she had been doing. His face was not a pretty one when he saw what Mimi was doing. He fumed, "What the hell are you doing? Don't you have something to say about this?"

"Hmm?" Mimi turned to Yamato and smiled, "Ah, hai! Arigatou! This is the best strawberry shortcake I ever had! It's my favorite treat!"

Yamato's fist started to clench, "Who said that was for you? Maybe I was going to share it with a friend that was supposed to come over for dinner tonight! Now that you've eaten one of the treats, what am I supposed to do?"

"Buy another one?" Mimi said sarcastically with a little nervous chuckle.

"Are you-" Yamato got ready to yell but the words sank in, "Ya know, you're right..."

"I-I am?" Mimi chocked, "Oh! Of course, I am! Ha! And you were worried..." Finishing her last bite.

"I'm not," Yamato said fixing his shirt, "You should. Com'on!" He grabbed Mimi's wrist and dragged her out of the apartment.

* * *

Mimi stood speechless, "Whe-Where are we?" Her glances changed seeing the crystal windows with it's nice maroon-colored drapes hanging beside it. The walls were painted a sandy brown color with little detail of _snow_ using sponges. The tables and chairs were match to its surroundings. And dangling from the ceiling were lamps with a mosaic snow-theme. In the center was a dessert counter on one side while the other sold drinks such as soda, liquor, and water; also matching the theme. "Ishida," Mimi murmured, "This place... it's beautiful."

"Really? I thought you would've hated it, _hime-sama_?" Yamato smirked walking towards the counter of the place. Mimi eagerly followed him, still amazed by it's interior, "The place is called Eternal Winter." Yamato said not looking at her, almost emotional-less.

"Nani? Eternal Winter? I got the snow theme, but why the background of dark colors like that?"

"They don't want the 'cheery, bright, and happy' impression. They were looking more of a 'sophisticated, elegant, and mature' kind of style. See?" Yamato stated, "Imagine, if this place had the background color of light blue and still had the snow theme, would you want to stay here?"

"Not for a long time," Mimi imagined, "It would feel a bit too cold-"

"Exactly," Yamato smiled as they approached the counter, "The trick is, you have to have something that customers would make them want to stay more. For instance this place, they have the food, the mood, and the style. It makes everyone want to stay longer. It's a gimmick, I guess. Well, whatever it is, I like it."

For once, Mimi had seen a side of Yamato she liked. He wasn't the arrogant bastard that she got from her first impression. But that there was something more to Yamato Ishida than she expected. She began to feel heavy tapping on her shoulders. She turned to see Yamato's head gesturing towards the cashier behind the counter. She turned to do so and was greeted by cashier who said, "Eight hundred yen, onegai."

"Heh?"

"You heard the lady, eight hundred. This is payback for my dessert you ate earlier." His elbow leaned on the counter and his head rested on his hand, "Com'on, pay up."

"Uh, Ishida-kun..." Mimi made a nervous chuckle, "Since you literally pulled me out of the apartment, I didn't bring my wallet with me. Heh, heh, funny, isn't?"

"Not if you're the one paying," Yamato grunted handing the payment to the cashier.

"Arigatou-gozaimasu!" The cashier cheered.

"Yeah, yeah," Yamato retorted taking the bag and started to leave with Mimi running behind.

_"Yamato!"_ Someone cried running after him, _"Matte yo(7)!"_

"Nani?" He replied calmly and turned to see a familiar face, "What are you doing here?"

"Yagami-kun!" Mimi smiled seeing the familiar brunette.

Taichi approached the two with a smile on his face. He stationed the broom under his right palm. He stacked the other hand over the right, and his chin over the left. "I have a part time job here. So how's tonight's plan coming along?" said Taichi just moving his mouth as his head bobbed up and down.

"Well, I did have desserts for us until _someone_ ate one of the them." Yamato eyed the girl.

Mimi squealed, "I said I was sorry!"

Taichi chuckled kicking the broom up, "Don't worry about it. Hey, Yamato. Do you mind if you got dinner tonight? I have to close the shop and the manager is yelling at me for taking the food every time I do that." He laughed scratching the back of his neck playing with the strap around his neck holding his apron up.

"Argh! Does that mean I have to cook?" Yamato massaged the back of his neck to emphasized the added stress.

"I'm afraid so, buddy." Taichi shrugged as Yamato cursed under his breath, "Did you guys go grocery shopping yet?"

"Iie," They said in unison. The apartment-mates eyed each other surprised that they had agreed on a response for once. Taichi smiled giving the idea to them.

"I know the perfect place to buy groceries!" Mimi exclaimed walking out of the store.

"She's cute, Yamato." Taichi commented crossing his arms. Yamato raised his eyebrows to Taichi then eyed his female appartment-mate who was shouting his name outside while waving her arm trying to catch his attention. Now that he actually thought about it, there wasn't anything special about her. "If only I had your life."

* * *

"Geez," Yamato murmured as the convenience store doors closed behind them, "Taichi is too lazy to even buy fast food for dinner." Yamato commented taking a basket for the shopping. "He can be so troublesome sometimes."

"I will cook for you and Yagami-kun. I don't mind..." Mimi commented looking to the side.

Yamato stared at her out of shock. She caught this and stared right back at him. Mimi began to blush feeling a moment take place. Only now she notice Yamato's green sleeveless hoodie, his baggy carpenter jeans, and his plain sneakers and how well he looked in them. After this morning, she believed that he was the exception to that list of boys she'd want to hang out with. Namely, boys who were generally popular, powerful, or just plan friendly. But for some strange reason, she wanted to take it back.

_It can't be!_

Mimi's eyes widened when she thought about the aspect, or the mere chance that she possibly, mighty be, maybe falling-her image quickly crashed when Yamato started to hold his laughter then burst into tears laughing.

"Nani?"

"You-haha- I can't imagine you-haha-cooking-haha-that's hilarious!"

"I-I can cook!" Mimi pouted picking up some grocery items.

"Right! Sure you can..." Yamato said sarcastically smiling at her.

Mimi stared at Yamato with a confused look. She never thought that boys like him were so difficult to read. Mimi looked towards the side. She then focused her vision back towards Yamato walking to the counter and placing the items there. But when her mind registered what she had just saw, Mimi made a double take.

_"Your total comes up to ¥1,500. Would you like paper or plastic?"  
_

Mimi grabbed the item and ran to her roomate. "Ishida-kun!" Mimi ran up to him, "Can you buy this for me?" Showing a package of strawberry shortcake that almost looks like the one Yamato bought before.

"Heh? Iie! I'm not buying anything for you! It's your fault that you don't bring your wallet. "

"I promise I'll pay you back," Mimi whined.

"When I'm dead?" Yamato retorted.

"Mi-chan?"

Mimi and Yamato turned to see purple-haired Miyako with a blue apron on with the store's logo and a broom on one hand. "Miyako!" Mimi ran and hugged her friend, leaving Yamato with the package. He stared at the little package for a moment then sighed. He placed the little cake on the counter. "Please include this too."

Though Mimi released her hug from Miyako, Mimi was somewhat surprised to see Miyako standing speechless. Her index finger pointing, "Is-is-is-is-is-is-is-is-"

"Hmm?" Mimi followed Miyako's pointing finger still hearing her say, "Is-is-is-is-is-is-is-is-is-"

"Is what?"

"Mi-mi-mi-cha-a-a-n. Is-is-is th-th-th-tha-tha-that-" Miyako slowly spun her head towards Mimi, "I-I-I-Ishi-Ishi-Ishi-Ishida-da-da-da Ya-Ya-Yama-ma-mato? The one whom I idolized since I learned to say _kawaii_."

"Uh...hai?" Mimi agreed, not knowing this was about to become.

Miyako's head made a sharp turn seeing Yamato pay for the bill and then back to her best friend, "Why is he here? In my family's little, not-so-worthy-of-having-him-shop-here store?"

"Because I dragged him here...?"

"How?" Miyako grunted through her teeth.

"I live with him..."

Miyako's mouth nearly dropped.

"Tachikawa! Let's go!" Yamato exclaimed walking through the doors. "We are wasting time by just standing here!"

"Hai! Ja ne, Miyako-chan!" Mimi waved following her roommate, leaving the frozen-statue Miyako mumbling, "Okaa-san...I'm leaving early."

* * *

"Okay, Tachikawa, I bought enough chicken to make chicken teriyaki. Now, do you _know_ how to make chicken teriyaki?" Yamato stood behind the counter and shoved the bowl of uncooked chicken breast in front of her (who was behind the counter and next to the stove).

"Sure I do!" Mimi cheered, "First I take the pan and put it here." She slammed the frying pan onto the stove.

"Gentler, hai..." Yamato closed his eyes after he heard the sound it made.

"Then I fry the chicken to a crisp and put the sauce-!"

"Okay, let's do this later." Yamato exclaimed, hoping she didn't get any ideas, "Before you cause our apartment to burn with your idiotic ideas, _I'll_ cook dinner. It's only three in the afternoon. I don't think Taichi will be here till six."

"You just don't want me to cook, do you?" Mimi pouted seeing Yamato adding some teriyaki sauce and wrapping it to be place in the ref.

"That and I actually don't want you to burn this apartment down," Yamato smirked.

"Meanie..." Mimi stuck her tongue out.

_DING-DONG_

The occupants of 431 looked up and then to at each other. Both of them moved to look at the door. The being on the other side of the door began knocking on the other side. "Where you expecting guests now?" Mimi asked Yamato.

"Don't think so," Yamato replied looking at the door as it rang once more.

"Then who can that be?" Mimi removed the apron she wore and handed it to Yamato. Yamato's eyes followed Mimi's movements before Mimi's hand twisted the knob. She opened to door to see confetti pop out of nowhere in front of her face. Thankfully she had shut her eyes. However, the confetti managed to slip its way into her mouth. Mimi lightly spat the foreign pieces of paper from her mouth with her eyes still closed. She peaked one eye open to see Miyako's smiling face.

"**SURPRISE!**" Miyako cheered allowing the confetti to stop rain on Mimi's face, "It's Miyako-chan, reporting for house welcoming!"

"Ah...arigatou, Miyako-chan, de-demo (8)-" Mimi tried to keep her thoughts straight but was deeply distracted by the fluttering colored pieces of paper.

"Uwau (9)! Nice place!" Miyako slipped through Mimi and entered the living room after she kicked off her shoes at the genkan.

"Onegei, do come in..." Mimi said to herself sarcastically closing the front door.

"Tachikawa," Yamato exclaimed wiping his heads with the cloth behind the counter, "who was it?"

"**_UWAU! I-ISHIDA YA-YAMATO! WAI!_**" Miyako over-emphasized meeting Yamato for the _first_ time.

"Heh, heh, konichiwa..." Yamato sweatdropped wiping his hands on the apron then hanging it up on it's hook.

"Wai! Mi-chan! He said '_konichiwa_'!" Mimi squealed.

"I know. Just wait until the night where he says _Oyasumi_ (10). And in the morning where he says _Ohaiyo _(11). And with our luck, if he's in a good mood, he might also say _bitch_." Mimi continued her sarcasm, remembering the incident this morning. She stopped in behind Miyako as she shook Yamato's hand.

Yamato made a fake laugh. He took a glimpse of Mimi's pissed face and made a fake smile, "I'm about to take a nap. So you can do what ever you want. Have Fun! Oh, _Mi-chin_! For dinner, I'll cook the chicken teriyaki, okay? Oyasumi, _honey_..." He joked retreating to his bedroom.

'_Mi-chin? Honey? Damn that Ishida Yamato!_' Mimi fumed in her thoughts. '_He knows how to add fuel to the fire._'

"Mi-chan," Miyako's voice caught her attention, "Don't tell me you guys are going out! And if you are when, why and how? He was mine first I tell ya!"

Mimi sweatdropped from her friend's actions, "Let's go to my room..." She took hold of Miyako's hands as she dragged her friend to her room. She eventually tugged harder when Miyako realized that the room was right across from the blond's.

Miyako twirled around the brunette's room noting the style and layout of the room. Miyako plopped herself on the bed as Mimi took the study desk chair. "So is there anything between the two of you?" Mimi raised her brows up and down.

Mimi took a pillow on the side of her bed and smacked Miyako with it. "He's just a roommate, or apartment-mate... whatever the correct term is." Mimi hmphed as she sat back down on the chair.

"Oh, so you're just roommates?" Miyako got up and hugged the pillow that was now on Mimi's bed.

"Hai, but the only problem is that I just can't stand him when he's so picky..." Mimi grunted rolling around the floor on her desk chair.

"And..." Miyako smirked.

"And? And he's just a bastard- that's all!" Mimi exclaimed spinning on her desk chair.

"Mi-chan..." Miyako's devilish voice murmured, "Has anything happened between you and Ishida-kun?"

The blood ran through Mimi's cheeks, "Me-meaning...?"

"I mean," Miyako smirked, "Did you guys ever _do _anything?" She raised her eyebrows up and down.

Mimi's eyes widened. "Miyako!"

"Nani? It's dangerous, ya' know. Two single, _hopefully-virgins_, teenagers share one apartment, all by themselves. To me, it sounds a bit fishy... And didn't you say that your boxes and things didn't even arrive till this morning?" Mimi nodded out of embarrassment, "See? Does that mean you had to share a bed?"

Mimi stayed silent as Miyako started to giggle, "You're luckier than I thought."

"Miyako! We aren't dating! Trust me, I don't think anything is going on or happening between us and I am positive that he is thinking the same thing."

"So can I go out with him?"

"Exactly! I think he should find another- huh?" Mimi misunderstood Miyako's last statement.

Miyako blinked. "Can I go out with him?"

"You want to go out with him?" Mimi asked, reassuring that she heard correctly.

"Face it , Mi-chan, you're living with every girl's fantasy. Why, you do know that he goes to our school, right? Ishida Yamato!"

"Mr. _You-Aren't-Supposed-to-Eat-My-Shortcake_ Man is every girl's fantasy?" Mimi repeated in disbelief.

"Of course! He's tall, built, sexy and has blue eyes and blond hair! Tell me, how many Japanese guys have natural blue eyes and blond hair? Mi-chan! Introduce us!" Miyako exclaimed with a gleam in her eyes. She grabbed Mimi's hands and tied it with hers.

"Eh?" was all that Mimi could say. "But you two know each other... sort of."

A catchy jingle echoed throughout the room. Miyako looked into her purse and took out her cell phone. '_Miyako and Yamato. Them-together? Could they even possibly be in he same sentence? But Yamato is an entirely different case. He can be really serious,and really cool, sometimes. And Miyako usually chases every bishounen_ (12)_ she finds. Is it even worth having them two together?_'

"Okay, Ja!" Miyako pressed the end button of her phone. She pouted. "Oh, poo! Mi-chan," She said as she picked herself off of the mattress. This meant only one thing."I have to go back to the store. Okaa-san told me I have to or else I don't any payment. But think about what I said! Because I going to visit more!" Miyako jumped up as Mimi escorted her friend out of her bed room.

When they got to the door they found Ishida wearing the pale blue apron back on and a blue bandanna on his head. "Konichiwa, bishojou(13)! I decided to start making dinner, _Mi-chin_!"

Mimi cocked her head towards the side, "I thought you were taking a nap."

"I thought about it," Yamato said as he tapped an index finger on his chin, "and then I realize that I better cook for my _Mi-chin_ soon, or else she'll get hungry." There was an odd pastel colored aura around him, and Mimi found it strange yet welcoming.

"Okay, Yama...kun..." Mimi could bring herself to say such a thing to him. Mimi followed her friend till she reached the door.

"Sayonara, Yama-kun! Ja ne!" Miyako stepped through the door and walked goodbye. "I'll talk to ya later, Mi-chan!" She said. When she was midway to closing the door, she looked at Mimi and mouthed, '_He's so hot,_' and left. Mimi stared at the door and shook her head in disgrace. Her vision glided towards Yamato, who was already behind the counter and in the kitchen.

"She's a nice girl..." Yamato sighed getting ready to cook the chicken, "A lot nicer than someone that I have to live with..."

"Well, this _someone_ is going to take a shower..." Mimi replied defensively walking towards the bathroom, "No peeking!"

"Like I'd do so..." He scoffed getting back to the meal preparation.

Mimi slammed the bathroom door.

_

* * *

_

_Teenagers share one apartment, all by themselves. To me, it sounds a bit fishy... _

_Face it , Mi-chan, you're living with every girl's fantasy._

_Tell me, how many Japanese guys does have blue eyes and blonde hair? _

'_Why would there be anything special about Ishida Yamato?_' Mimi replaced her bathrobe for her soft colored yellow pajamas, '_I mean, the guy yelled at me for eating his shortcake. His damn shortcake!_' She started to comb her still wet hair, causing the drops to seep through the floor.

'_There has to be something beyond his looks that makes him more appealing. Could there be?_' Mimi opened the bedroom door and stepped out. She closed the door behind her and walked her way towards her room while rubbing the access water out of her hair. Her feet stopped her when she was greeted by hearing, "Konbawa, Tachikawa-chan..."

She turned to see Yamato and Taichi on the table next to the kitchen. She saw that the teriyaki was done and had rice and bits of cabbage and a flower-like cut-out of carrots on the side. On the opposite side was the strawberry shortcake that she was scolded for eating.

"Konbanwa, Yagami-kun, Ishida-kun." Mimi nodded as she closed her bedroom door. "Go ahead and eat your dinner. I'm about to go order some food. This way I wouldn't have to bother you guys." Mimi walked over to the stand with the telephones.

"There's no need," Taichi smiled, walking up to Mimi, "Actually, Yamato prepared a plate for you."

"He-he did?" Mimi's glance faced the table, eyeing the third plate across from the other two. Before her mind could fully register what had happened, Taichi was by her side. He raised his arm as he escorted her to the table. He took her chair and pulled it out slightly as Mimi sat. While her bum was about to touch the cushion, he pushed the back of her chair in. Mimi nodded thanks as he took his seat next to Yamato on the opposite side of her.

"Ishida, ariga-"

"Just eat it before I take it away from you." Yamato replied coldly as he took out his chopsticks. They prayed their blessings and started to dig in.

'_Ya know, I'm starting to think Yamato isn't really that bad..._' Mimi smiled seeing him and Taichi have their conversation, '_Maybe there's something more to Ishida than meets the eye._'

Yamato's chopsticks reached for the chicken teriyaki plate and took some piece of chicken. Mimi's chopsticks was aiming for the same piece. The two pairs of chopsticks clashed with one anothers. The two roommates eyed one another for the same reason: _I want that piece of chicken._

"Be a good girl and let go of that chicken..." Yamato said calmly trying to keep his cool.

"First, be the good boy you _are _and allow that chicken to enter my mouth." Mimi smiled.

"Oh no, you." Yamato smirked starting to develop the _anime-vein-pop_.

"Au contraire, you." Mimi smirked back.

"You!"

"You!"

"_I_ cooked the meal." Yamato's eyes narrowed. "Therefore, _I _should have the first bite."

"_However_," Mimi emphasized, "Gentleman should let ladies go first."

"You are definitely the Gentle**man**, that's for sure." Yamato rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Smart Ass, you just called yourself a woman."

"How-how about I go first to settle this peacefully?" Taichi asked bringing his chopsticks closer to the plate.

Ironically, the roommates responded, "**No! **We cannot let him/her win!" In unison. The two looked back at each other. It started an all out war, once more. Taichi shrugged and said, "I guess this happens when you live in the same household as the opposite sex..." He ended it with a sigh and a sweatdrop as the two continued to argue as the night ventured on.

* * *

(1) _Purple Yam  
_(2) _God  
_(3)_ Shit  
_(4) _Princess_  
(5) _I'm Home!  
_(6) _Blessing before eating  
_(7)_Wait  
_(8) _But  
_(9) _Wow_  
(10) _Goodnight  
_(11) _Good Morning_  
(12) _Pretty Boys_  
(13) _Pretty Girls_

_Sorry for a probably poor chapter and being so late. Anyway, Thanks for reading! Please review. Feedback, critques, they're welcome ('cept for flamers). And poll on userpage!  
_


	3. Becoming Used to Your Antics

Chapter 3: _Becoming Used to Your Antics_

_

* * *

_

**17 of October**

_The last three days of vacation, that's when things had started to settle down. I finished all the school material I had to study for and still had time to clean up my home. Another thing about my home is that I live in my own apartment! Yes! And not only that I live by myself. Well, not **by myself**. I live with a well-known guy named Yama-_

**_ARGH!_**

"**I can't submit this piece of shit!**" Mimi yelled tearing out the piece of paper written in her fall break journal-assignment. She threw the now balled up paper into the thrash. She looked at the thrown-out entry with cornered eyes. '_I can't hand that in,_' Mimi sighed, '_My teacher would get suspicious of a girl, under aged, living a guy… all by themselves. Not only that, **his** fans would be after me too! With Miyako leading the army…_' She sighed to herself, thinking about her best friend after her.

She leaned back on her desk chair and allowed her arms to cross for her head to lie upon. She stared at the ceiling of her room. '_Yamato has been working a lot recently. Even during his break, he doesn't use it up as leisure time. I sort of feel bad for the guy…_'

**_RIIING!_**

"Yamato, that's your phone!" Mimi called trying to ignore the sound.

**_RIIING!_**

"Oi! Dickhead, you're phone is ringing!" Mimi yelled starting to get annoyed.

**_RIIING!_**

"Oh come on!" Mimi cried. She stood up and walked towards the door. She turned the knob and yelled, "**Yama-** to?" She had realized that there was still no reply from him. Mimi walked down the hallway and into the living room where the phones were. She saw that his house slippers were next to the front door. '_I guess he went to work already_…' She finalized.

Mimi walked over to the sliver-like, cordless phone set known to be Yamato's. She was about to answer it but the machine beat her to it.

**Hey, I'm too tired to think of a snappy phone message for you to ridicule me later on in life. **

**After the beep, you'll know how to do the rest.**

**_BEEP!_**

"God, that's so typical of him," Mimi muttered under her breath, "I'm going back to my room."

**_Moshi-moshi?_**

Mimi stopped dead on her tracks when she had heard a feminine voice through the other end. She turned to face the machine which blinked throughout the entire message.

**_Ishida-kun? It's Sora. Ishida-kun, are you there? Probably not…I know you work a lot now. Ano…I'm just calling to ask how you are doing. I mean, you haven't contact your family or me in a long time. Since the time you had left, I mean. I just wanna know if you're okay and if meet up again. Possibly see your new place? I knew you moved because I went to your old apartment and your landlord had said so. _**

**_Ano…just call me back when you can. I'll be looking forward for your call. _**

Mimi stared at the machine as it accepted the message. '_Sora?_' Mimi thought to herself.

* * *

"So, how are things going with Yamato?" Miyako asked as Mimi swallowed the piece of strawberry shortcake Miyako has brought over.

"For some reason I knew you were going to ask me that." Mimi coughed.

"Well, I'm sorry but it's a pretty shaking thing for the two of you to be living in the same apartment by yourselves."

"I'm highly aware of that by now…" Mimi sighed, "I don't think we're really good roommates. We treat each other like how an old couple (1)."

Miyako choked on Mimi's explaination, "What?"

"Forget it." Mimi quickly changed the subject. She sat on the couch with her legs crossed in Indian style. "He always likes to argue with me! Not _just_ argue; he also wants to make a point about **everything**. Last night, we argued about dinner. Not because how it was cooked, but who gets to have the first bite."

"No," Miyako said sarcastically.

"Not as weird as this morning. Since I got up a _little_ late, he had first dibs on breakfast. I'm fine with that. But he eats _my _cereal."

"Oh no," Miyako sighed in the same tone. Mimi eyed Miyako with a glare. Miyako laughed a bit seeing this reaction as she leaned back with the support of her palms, "I'm sorry, but you should be honored, Mi-chan. There are a lot of people out there who would love to be in your shoes. (2)"

"Like you, perhaps?" Mimi smirked.

"**Mi-chan!** I am being serious. Yamato has a lot of fans. They would kill themselves to be in the same place where you are now. Every morning you would say, _Ohayou, Yama-kun._ In the afternoon, you would say _Konnichiwa, Yama-kun_. And in the evening, you would say, _Oyasumi, Yama-kun_." Miyako said in a day-dream-ish tone. "And maybe catch a glimpse of him after a shower..."

"…and this is supposed to make me feel better about myself?" Mimi questioned in disgust.

"At first…" Miyako laughed in a fake manner with her tongue out.

"Well, don't expect to be all lovey-dovey with him." Mimi sighed finishing her last piece of the shortcake.

"And why not?" Miyako pouted.

"I think he has a girlfriend." Mimi said bluntly with bits of the shortcake still in her mouth. Mimi swallowed the dessert. By now, she expected a remark from Miyako. She moved her eyes to see Miyako frozen, "Did you hear me?"

"**Who is she? Where is she from? Does she go to our school? How old is she? Does she live here, in Odaiba?**" Miyako's questions jumped out of nowhere.

"Eh, I-I said _think, _didn't I? All I know is that her name is Sora."

"Hmmm…" Miyako grunted, "Lucky bitch. She has Yamato all to herself. It must be nice to be her!" Miyako sighed pumping her fists up and down out of frustration.

"Hey, I thought you envied me." Mimi said feeling her life draining away thanks to Miyako's obsession.

"_Tadaimasu! _(3)" Yamato called as soon as he closed the door behind himself and replaced his sneakers for his house slippers. He saw a pair of shoes he hadn't recognized. His eyes lowered wondering who it had belonged to, "I'm hungry, Mi-"

"We have a guest, Yamato…" Mimi stopped his sentence preventing him from insulting her. She didn't look at him. Instead, she continued to scratch the crumbs of her plate with her fork.

Yamato walked forward into the living room. He stopped when he saw the familiar purple haired girl waving her hand side to side. "Konnichiwa, Yama-kun!" Miyako smiled as she waved at him.

"And…who are you?" Yamato squinted seeing Miyako.

"She was here yesterday, baka." Mimi sighed.

Yamato laughed, "Oh, you're so funny, Mi-_chin_. I remember! The purple-haired girl…"

'_Nice name, dickhead…_' Mimi laughed to herself.

"Here, Yama-kun," Miyako smiled walking up to Yamato with the plate of shortcake, "You can have this piece for yourself."

"Eh?" Mimi snapped from her thoughts. She turned around to see that Miyako had shared something with Yamato. "Miyako, isn't that supposed to be mine?"

"Demo, Yama-kun hasn't tried it. You have eaten your own shortcake, didn't you?" Miyako replied without looking at Mimi.

Mimi was ready to debate until Yamato made an unexpected move. "Ah, arigatou," He replied nicely to Miyako with a smile. Not just a smile, but the kinds that only bishounen give to girls when they really, _really _appreciate things. Or possibly…

'_What the hell? Yamato has smiled? A shimmer-shimmer-**glow** smile?_' Mimi asked herself seeing the doubtful sight, '_Is that even possible? Or could it be because he was offered food. This is weird. All this inner talks makes me think that I am…jealous?_' Mimi paused, '_It has to be the food…_'

"I'm going to finish this in my room, then take a quick nap. Have fun, girls! Oh, since I have work later, I'll be out soon, okay? Ja ne, (4) Mi-_chin_." He waved to Mimi and Miyako as he slowly disappeared into the hallway leading to his room.

Miyako sighed with her fingers intertwined, "He's really nice. I don't see why you don't like him."

"He's cruel, okay? He's not even worth calling a bishounen." Mimi grunted taking her plate and bringing it into the kitchen. She had washed the plate clean and placed it back to its proper place in the cabinet. From the kitchen, Mimi saw Miyako staring at the Playstation (5) located under the TV. Mimi walked back into the living room to interrupt her friend.

"Is the Playstation his?" Miyako asked looking through his games.

"Hai," Mimi sat back onto the couch, "Most of the electronics are his."

"He must have bought them all when he moved in."

"Actually, he had them before he moved in. I was helping him empty out his boxes. I think he just buys his things from the jobs he has."

"Jobs? How many does he have?" Miyako faced Mimi who just shrugged in return, "He pays for half the rent, doesn't he? So, he must have gotten some money from his family."

"Nah, I don't think he likes to borrow money from them." Mimi sighed, "I remember asking him before and he said that he can't turn to them for some reason."

"Really?" Miyako asked, turning her attention back towards the games, "Well, in reality, his parents are very successful and very rich." Miyako explained as she finished up looking through Yamato's games.

"How do you know about these things? Even about Yamato?" Mimi asked in a bewildered state of matter.

Miyako giggled taking out a laminated card, "I'm president of the Ishida Yamato fan club."

'_Figures…_' Mimi scoffed, "How are his parents successful?"

"His father works as a director for that FUJI TV news report division. And I believe his mother is in journalism." Miyako commented, "But something happened between the two of them. I can't quite remember. Oh well, you can ask him later when he comes home from work."

Mimi looked at Miyako suspiciously. Was Yamato's private life that open to the public? Especially since she had not really took much interest in it. But one thing did pop into Mimi's mind: was all that something that she wasn't supposed to know about him?

Miyako took out her cell phone and had started taking pictures of the video gaming system and herself. Mimi just shook her head and ignored what her friend was doing.

* * *

**11:00PM**

**_DING-DONG-DING-DOOONG_**

**_DONG-DING-DONG-DIIING_**

Mimi glanced at the clock which he read the time. She ate her dinner, took a bath, changed into her pajamas, and did her homework. She was ready to go to bed. Yet Yamato had not come back from his last job. Let alone called the apartment saying that he would arrive late.

'_Maybe he has to work late,_' Mimi questioned as she propped her knees up to her chin, '_But he should still have the decency to call. I swear, sometimes I wonder about him…_'

**_RIING_**

Mimi sighed after hearing the annoying bell so late at night. She walked up to her phone and looked at the ID name labeled: **Ishida.** Mimi made a slight arc above her right eye seeing the name. '_Only now he calls?_' Mimi sighed as she picked up the receiver, "Moshi-moshi?"

"This is the apartment doorman. You're roommate needs help going in. It seems he's a bit…_tired_." The apartment doorman grumbled trying to think of the right word.

Mimi sighed once more before saying, "I'll open the door, sir…" Mimi placed the receiver back to its original place. Her feet dragged her to the door to open it to the middle-aged man with Yamato's arm around his neck. Yamato's head nestled on the shoulder of the now aggravated doorman. The apartment doorman grunted feeling a little drop of saliva on his shirt leaking into his skin. "Is he yours?" He asked in disgust feeling the liquid.

"Well, he's not _exactly _mine-" Mimi explained.

"Too bad, he's yours." He stopped Mimi dead-sentence. "His boss dropped him off from work. The kid was just too tired to take the bus. He said that Yamato didn't want to call here because he didn't want to wake you or something like that. So I had to bring the lazy kid up here. And now, he's your problem. Buh-bye." He threw Yamato to Mimi's arms where she tried to take hold of his body due to his weight. '_Teenagers these days…_' The doorman mumbled stomping towards the elevator.

Mimi rose at her eyebrows on the scene that just had happened. She shook her head and dragged Yamato within the apartment with all her might.

"Ah, geez! He's so heavy!" Mimi grunted pulling Yamato into the hallway of their rooms. However, Yamato's self conscious had no intention of helping the poor girl move himself across the apartment. Mimi stood in front of Yamato's bedroom door, "If you're conscious in _any _way, do you mind helping me get you into your own room."

"Girl-too-noisy…" Yamato mumbled.

"Argh!" Mimi groaned pulling Yamato one more step away from his door. She propped Yamato's arm onto her shoulder to hold him securely. '_How the hell did he get here like this? Even better, why the hell is he like this?_' Mimi wondered turning the knob. There was a problem in this process. Yes, the knob was turning, but the door wasn't opening. "Yamato, if you hear me, tell me why your door is locked."

"Girl-in-apartment-might-take. Girl-no-go-in." He mumbled.

Mimi stood there wide-mouthed, "You conniving bastard! You think I'll steal from **_you_**?" Mimi raged. Yamato responded by making a loud snoring sound. "Unbelievable…" Mimi sighed, "Yamato-where-key-to-bed?" She asked him in the same tone he was talking to her in.

"Don't-know."

Mimi looked at Yamato with a vein-pop on her head. She dragged Yamato the opposite direction towards her room. Mimi threw his body onto her bed. Yamato's body jumped on as the bed reacted by bouncing back. She took off the sneakers on his feet. She took his removed shoes and placed it next to the door were the other shoes were placed. When she had returned, she had noticed that Yamato was already comfortable in her bed.

He snuggled into her pillow which he embraced dearly. He was making a small smile that she couldn't help but smile back. Mimi took hold of the blanket on the bottom of Yamato's feet. She pulled it over his body where she tucked him in. Despite the pink theme, Yamato still had the sexy-man look. Even though this would be the perfect blackmail, taking a picture of masculine Yamato sleeping in pink sheets, pillows, and blankets, Mimi just turned to her closet where she grabbed an extra pillow and a blanket.

She walked over to the door of the room. Mimi turned once more to see the smiling Yamato still fast asleep. "Oyasumi, Yamato…" Mimi smiled before she flipped the switch to its lower half as the lights closed on cue.

* * *

Morning came along. Mimi was stationed in the living room's couch thanks to Yamato. For some odd reason her nose was embraced with a delectable scent that seemed to fill the air. She slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was still blurred but slowly fixed when she recognized a blond looking above her. "Ohayou!" He greeted.

"Kyaa-ah!" Mimi exclaimed seeing Yamato's face so close to hers.

"Well, _hello _to you too!" Yamato replied sarcastically placing the plate on top of the coffee table. Mimi glanced curious to see what the contents on the plate were. The main dish consisted of a small salmon fillet with two cooked eggs and bowl rice was on the side. It was breakfast? Yamato walked away almost embarrassed that he had done a sweet deed for his roommate. "If you feel like being a faty, I'll make you some toast too."

He turned back to see that Mimi had not moved since he had laid the plate on the table. "Are you going to eat it or not?"

"Heh?" Mimi blinked, "Oh, gomen, I never thought you would do this for me, **ever!**"

"Well today is your day of grace." Yamato explained as he tried to hide his blush from Mimi's sight. "I'll be going to work. I won't be back until probably seven or eight in the evening. So don't worry about me, okay?" Yamato smirked. Mimi blushed remembering what she had done. "_Eh? _Are you blushing, Mi-_chin_?"

"E-**eh?** Iie!" Mimi defended herself as she got up to consume her meal. He just chuckled more.

* * *

"Ishida-kun, I want to you to clean up tables 6, 10, and 15. Then I need you to prepare tables 7, 11, and 20. Got that?"

"Hai!" Yamato nodded as he finished wiping the waxed wooden tables with his trusty cloth. He carried the plastic bin filled with the dirty dishes, utensils, and cups.

"_Excuse me, busboy?_" A customer called then waved to catch Yamato's attention, "_I would like another straw, if you please._"

Yamato searched through his apron to find the familiar touch of the wrapper. He gripped it tight and pulled out a straw. The customer smiled and allowed Yamato to leave. He brought the bin of dirty dishes into the kitchen where he placed all the plates into the sink.

"**Ishida! **You still didn't prepare table 7!" His bossed yelled throughout the kitchen.

"Maybe it's because I'm still cleaning those dishes you _allegedly _warned me about." Yamato groaned. '_The man keeps calling me before I get his last request done._' He left the sink and walked past the kitchen door. Yamato walked to table 7 and wiped up the stains of soy sauce circles.

"Yama-kun?"

Yamato turned around to see a familiar purple-haired girl, "Miyako?"

"Konnichiwa," Miyako bowed.

"What are you doing here?" Yamato made a small chuckle, "If you're looking for Mimi, she's back at the apartment."

"Actually, I came here to speak to you." Miyako smiled approaching closer to Yamato.

* * *

Mimi closed the door of a store she just visited. She looked at her cell phone and glanced on the time. "Okay, it's one o'clock. Yamato must still be at work. Maybe this would be a good time to get him something. After all, he _actually_ shared food with me and was didn't want to wake me up last night. Hmmm…if I was Yamato, what would I want? Easy, I want Mimi to get her own apartment." Mimi shifted her eyes to the other side of the street. She saw within the window of a diner someone with hair of a familiar shade of purple. She smiled when she had realized it was Miyako.

Obeying the laws of traffic, Mimi crossed the street to enter the diner where Miyako was in. She opened the door of the diner and searched for her friend. '_She's the only one with purple hair…_' Mimi said to herself as her eyes kept scanning heads.

"Miya-"Mimi paused to see another person sharing the same booth as Miyako.

"Ojyou-san (6)? Would you like a table?" A waiter asked Mimi who just stood staring at Miyako.

"Ha-hai…" Mimi nodded as the waiter led her to her table. The waiter had passed Miyako however Mimi stood beside the booth before Miyako's. Sensing that Miyako was about to turn, Mimi quickly sat on the empty booth. Mimi's face was covered thanks to the little artificial plant between them. Yet, Mimi's ears were close to hear the conversation between Miyako and her guest.

"Ojyou-san?" The waiter called snapping Mimi from her trance, "Would you like to be seated here instead?"

"Onegei?" Mimi smiled as the waiter sighed.

"Here's your men-"

"Iced tea would be fine." Mimi stopped him mid-sentence as she tried to listen in the conversation.

"Demo, you-"

"Iced tea, sweetened." Mimi repeated. The waiter raised his eyebrow before disappearing.

"_So that's where you moved from?_" Miyako asked with a slight ring in her voice, "_I have some friends from that area!_"

"**_Really? Wow, I thought your only friend was Mi-chin_.**"

'_Mi-chin?_' Mimi mouthed to herself, '_Yamato?_' She questioned herself as her eyes widened in disbelief.

"_No, she's just my best friend,_" Miyako giggled, "_We were friends since we were in elementary school. That reminds me, what do you think of Mimi? Isn't she a good roommate?_"

"**_Is she a good roommate? Ha, that's hilarious._**" Yamato laughed, "**_She's a nice girl and all but…behind closed doors; she gets pretty bitchy._**"

Mimi lowered her head after hearing Yamato's words. '_He thinks I'm mean?_' She opened her hands and asked herself, '_Am I really that cruel to him? I thought it was all fun and games._'

Mimi stood up from her booth and advanced towards the door trying to cover what she was really thinking at the moment.

"Here you go, Ojyou-san?" the waiter returned with a glass of ice tea. "Damn those kids! Making us work for a customer satisfaction and they leave without paying for the bill…"

* * *

"Tadaimasu (3)," Yamato called replacing his sneakers for his house slippers. He turned to his right to see the television on in a cooking channel. He advanced his steps towards the set. His eyes rested on Mimi who was sleeping peacefully on the couch within the barrier of the blanket.

Mimi snored lightly, unable to be heard. Yamato smile remembering what she had looked this morning. Mimi gripped the nearest part of the blanket and snuggled to increase the warmth. Yamato sat on the couch with his back almost against her stomach. With his right hand on the back rest of the couch, he slowly descended towards Mimi's face.

He licked his lips seductively. His face reached her pale skin, feeling his warm breath curl back towards him. With a husky voice, he approached her ear as whispered, "_Don't leave the TV on when no one is watching._"

Mimi's eyes opened wide after feeling his voice softly tickle her senses. Her eyes roamed to see Yamato right above her. "**WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?**" She shrieked as Yamato retreated back in response. "I-I mean, sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. I-I-you-you surprised me, that's all."

"No, no. It's alright. Hopefully I can get my hearing back." Yamato groaned still feeling a ring in his ear. Yamato paused to see that Mimi had just stared at him, "What? No come back?"

"Ah? I guess not…" Mimi replied in a shy manner as scratched the back of her head and looked down.

"Are you okay? You're not yourself. Were you switched with someone else while I was gone?" Yamato laughed lightly.

"I just…I don't know." Mimi laughed along. But the answer for her behavior was located within a conversation held by Yamato and Miyako. If Yamato was to respect her as a roommate, she would have to be someone Yamato would get along with.

"Do you mind stopping the nice act? It's really, **_really _**disturbing. With you acting all…_nice_? You should go back on being the loud weirdo you are." Yamato groaned walking into the kitchen. "Man, I'm hungry…"

Taken back by his words, Mimi's eyes narrowed. '_What? You wanted a nice roommate, didn't you? Argh! Well, nice roommate my ass!_'

"Oh, what do we have here?" Yamato's eye caught a large pot located on top of the stove. The delectable smell lured him further and further into the kitchen. His hand reached for the cover but a light slap settled it back into its place. Yamato saw Mimi taking the pot into the opposite counter. "Jeez, why'd you do that?"

"This isn't for you," Mimi retorted with a tint of blush among her cheeks.

"You're not sharing a meal with me? An incredibly large meal?" Yamato pouted.

"Obviously not." Mimi puffed her cheeks showing Yamato how serious (and immature) she was.

Yamato laughed a bit. "That's a highly unattractive trait!"

"To you maybe!" Mimi roared, "I bet that any man wouldn't mind if the roommate they hated had not shared any food with them!"

"If you haven't noticed, in the category "**any man**",** _I _**can be classified as one."

"If you weren't gay, you mean."

"If I _wasn't_ gay?" Yamato repeated in disbelief, "Give me a—wait a minute. The roommate they hated?" Yamato paused, analyzing Mimi's words, "Do you think I hate you?"

"No," Mimi defended herself. If she had agreed, then he would have known that she had eavesdropped on their conversation. "I'm just using that as an example!" Mimi yelled back.

"I give up! I'm going to my room, now." Yamato grunted. He turned, "If you're going to be the stubborn princess you are, then we can't survive becoming roommates." Yamato walked out of the room leaving Mimi alone with the pot of dinner in her possession.

"What the hell does he think he is?" Mimi sighed to herself. "I made some pasta for dinner thanks to the cooking channel. And I was all ready till he said that I should be and stay bitchy." Mimi sighed to herself. "What the hell is wrong with him? **Can't he just make his own damn mind?**" She yelled only loud enough to get it out of her chest. "Guys…" She sighed as she stared to empty out the pot into plates.

**_RIIING!_**

"Hmm? Who would be calling now? Someone that might bring about my ever-wanting death, I bet." Mimi scoffed as she picked up her phone, "Moshi-moshi?"

"_Mimi!_"

"Miyako," Mimi sighed, as she sank to a seat in the dining room "What's up?"

"_I have exciting news to tell you_**_-_**"

"I can imagine," Mimi replied sarcastically knowing it had to do something with Yamato.

"_It has to do with Yamato_."

'_Figures,'_ Mimi sighed.

"_I was caught him at work. I took him out for lunch. And we started talking. I remembered what you told me this morning about, you know, Yamato liking to argue with you. He told me he enjoyed doing that with you_." Mimi's ears paused as soon as she heard Miyako's last sentence.

"_So that's where you moved from?" Miyako asked with a slight ring in her voice, "I have some friends from that area!"_

"_Really? Wow, I thought your only friend was Mi-chin." Yamato questioned Miyako after he took a sip of his coffee. _

"_No, she's just my best friend," Miyako giggled, "We were friends since we were in elementary school. That reminds me, what do you think of Mimi? Isn't she a good roommate?"_

"_Is she a good roommate? Ha, that's hilarious." Yamato laughed, "She's a nice girl and all but…behind closed door; she gets pretty bitchy."_

"_You don't mean that do you?" Miyako asked, cutting a piece off of her cake._

"_No, I don't," Yamato smiled, "She fun to make fun of. I don't think we hate each other at all. I mean, sure, we yell at each other a lot. We can insult each other forever, but as long as no one gets hurt, there's no big deal. I like Mi-chin the way she is. I wouldn't ask for a better roommate."_

As much as she tried, Mimi couldn't respond. What was this? Utter shock? "_Mimi? Are you still there?_"

"I'm here," Mimi replied, "Arigatou, Miyako."

"_No problem. See you at school tomorrow. Ja!_" Miyako replied as the phone conversation came to an abrupt end.

Mimi looked at the receiver and placed it back down to its original spot. She had stared at it for quite some time thinking of what Miyako had told her. Had Yamato really enjoyed staying with her? He sure doesn't seem like it. But she did say that he enjoys playing around with her mind.

"Argh! This is what I get for living with a man that's not related to me!" Mimi roared.

* * *

**_KNOCK-KNOCK_**

"If you're a girl with the name of Tachikawa, don't come in until you cool your attitude down." Yamato scoffed from his desk chair.

Ignoring his suggestion, Mimi opened his door with one more knock, "Yamato?"

"Hmmm…I did say for her to cool her attitude down, didn't I?" Yamato sarcastically asked himself in an acting form.

"Yamato? Are you mad at me?"

"Hmm…depends, do you think I'd ignore you if I wasn't?" Yamato asked still in a sarcastic tone.

"I-I wanted to say that I'm…" Mimi paused as she tried to bring herself to say the words, "so-sor-sooor-sorr…" She paused to see Yamato's reaction. He tried to hold back his laughter, "What?"

"Com'on. It's not that hard to say," Yamato taunted.

Mimi narrowed her eyes and sighed, "Ishida Yamato, I am…sorry."

"See? That wasn't so hard…" Yamato laughed, spinning around his desk chair.

"For you probably," Mimi scoffed as she turned around to head for the door. "Aren't you coming?"

"For what?" Yamato waited for Mimi's response. However, Mimi instead walked out of the door causing Yamato to follow her. She led him to the table in the dining room. His eyes lit up when Mimi placed another plate on the table. "You're sharing food? With me?"

"The option to cook your own meal is still available, ya' know." Mimi crossed her arms as she sat on her chair.

"I'm not complaining." Yamato sat on his chair. The two said their prayer before serving a portion of pasta on their plate. Yamato took his fork and blew the steam out of his way. "Well, thanks for dinner!" Yamato smiled before placing the noodle in his mouth. He chewed on it a couple of times. "This is good."

"What did you expect about my cooking?"

"I thought you wouldn't drain the water from the noodles. Therefore, instead of draining water, you would have made weird-ass noodle soup."

"That's cruel, Yamato," Mimi replied as she took a bite of her meal.

"What made you think of cooking?"

"I was watching a cooking channel. Something looked delicious. I wanted to make a meal, that's all."

Yamato narrowed his eyes, and then made a sheepish smirk, "I don't think that's the truth."

"What?"

"I think you did something-"

"Okay, okay, I accidentally overheard your conversation of Miyako. You said that I was a bitch, so I decided to do something nice for you." Mimi pouted, "There, happy?"

"Much," Yamato's smirk never faded, "But I know what you made decide to do that."

"What? I can't do this just to be nice?" Mimi laughed taking another bite of her meal.

Yamato smirked. "You like me, don't you?"

Mimi choked, "**What?**"

"Easy, Mi-_chin , _you have a crush on me."

"You've got issues, you know that?"

Yamato laughed a bit. "You were jealous of your friend, Miyako, because she was hanging out with me."

"Me? Jealous?"

"Then please explain why else you would want to change your personality."

"I don't know, maybe just," Mimi paused unable to think of an excuse, "to…ano (7)…"

"See? Under all the exterior of bitching and anger, it turns out that you like me."

"I do not!"

"Sure you do," Yamato laughed, "Teenagers that blush doesn't mean that they have some intimate feeling for someone." He exclaimed sarcastically.

"Ah!" Mimi felt a sudden rush of blood flow through her cheeks, "**No!**"

"Fine, I'll stop," Yamato sighed, "Just do one favor for me." He finished.

"Well, let me review the details first to you. One: we own our own apartment; two: we are teenagers; and three: we are alone. So since there's a theme developing within these three points, I request for this "_something_" not to happen, if you catch my drift."

Yamato paused to raise an eyebrow, "You're insisting, aren't you?"

"**Will you just continue?**" Mimi replied through her teeth.

"Well, before we lived here, we never really knew each other. Since tomorrow is the day when have to go back to school, I request we don't interact with each other outside of the apartment."

Silence.

* * *

_(1) **edit: **It was Real World before, but I like this better. (smiles)  
(2) A saying meaning that a lot of people would like to be you. IE Mimi  
(3) I'm home  
(4) See ya  
(5) Doesn't belong to me, should have known that by now  
(6) A polite way of saying Miss  
(7) Ummm_


	4. Oh, Yay, More Surprises

Chapter 4: _Oh, Yay, More Surprises…

* * *

_

_Teenagers share one apartment, all by themselves. To me, it sounds a bit fishy..._

Mimi buttoned her pale beige blouse down. She looked at her blouse before slipping the vest on then smoothed all the wrinkles visible to her.

_Face it , Mi-chan, you're living with every girl's fantasy._

Mimi then jumped into the section of her skirt that was made for her waist. She took the left side of the waist line, buttoned, and zippered till the skirt was neat and tidy.

_Tell me, how many Japanese guys have blue eyes and blond hair!_

"She has a point there," Mimi commented to herself, thinking of the Miyako pointed out to her. She finished brushing her hair till its fullest gleam appeared. "Perfect!"

"_I can leave without you, ya' know._" Yamato's voice cried throughout the hall.

"O-oi! Chotto matte! (1)" Mimi cried trying to find her school bag. She looked under the study desk; not there. She lifted the blanket of her bed; not there either. "Dammit, where is it?"

"_Tachikawa!_"

"**Chotto matte! **(2)" Mimi yelled. She took a final look next to her desk and laughed to herself. Her school bag was **on** the desk, not under it. '_Why didn't I notice that before?_'

"_Itekimasu…_(3)"

Mimi nodded, "Hai, hai, ite—**ah?**" She grabbed her schoolbag and ran after her roommate. She ran to the front door where his house slippers already were left behind and his converse-like sneakers missing. Mimi grunted, "Bastard…" She quickly tore off her slippers and replaced it with her pink tennis shoes. Mimi opened the door and locked it as she made her way outside. She then quickly ran to the elevator where her palm was able to catch the door before it closed.

The doors quickly retreated. Knowing that elevators contained sensors that can prevent a person from get it's body amputated, Mimi took this chance to inhale and exhale like she has never done so before thanks to the amount of running she had to endure. When she lifted her head, she eyed the smirking Yamato holding the button preventing the elevator doors to close. Mimi quietly grunted to herself before walking into the compartment.

"I hate you…" She said soft enough for Yamato to hear. He chuckled in return as the doors closed shut.

* * *

Yamato and Mimi walked in total silence, without a word even said to each other since they had left the apartment. Yamato saw a girl wearing the familiar gray uniform skirt, white blouse, black blazer and white socks. He suddenly stopped.

"Remember what I told you last night?" Yamato asked Mimi before they entered the trail (4). Mimi ignored his question and continued walking. With a force, Yamato grabbed Mimi's arm and pulled her into a dark alleyway.

"**A-ha!** I knew you were going to rape me eventually!" Mimi exclaimed preparing to get the pepper spray from her schoolbag while fighting Yamato's hands.

"Don't be so full of yourself!" Yamato mocked, yet he still had troubling controlling her. "Calm down, will you?" He gestured by pulling Mimi's hands down making her face him, eye to eye. "Now do you remember what you agreed to last night?"

"Now remind me why again must I ignore you?"

"Wouldn't you find it weird if these two people, opposite from each other in every way possible, be so close to each other all of a sudden?"

"Not really." Mimi said bluntly, "They could have _met_ each other over break."

"And _where _could they have met?"

"They—" Mimi paused, "—that's a good point."

Yamato sighed, letting go of Mimi's hands. He raised his head slipped his forehead, "You _do_ know who we're talking about, right?"

"The two people, right?"

Yamato sighed, "Sometimes I wonder about you. Am I the only one who's sane in this world?" He quickly messaged his forehead before continuing, "Okay, you see? We could not been seen together. They will start having the wrong impression about us."

"Fine," Mimi gave up with the argument.

'_That's it?_' Yamato thought. "So, you promise?" Yamato paused for Mimi's nod. "No, waves." Nod. "No, flashy greetings." Nod. "And most importantly, you won't tell anyone about meeting me or Taichi."

"What? That's not fair!" Mimi exclaimed; she wanted to brag at least she met the guy.

"**You promised, woman!**" Yamato exclaimed louder with his head still up in the air.

"Fine…" Mimi pouted.

"Good," Yamato sighed as he moved to face her again. "I'll be going first."

"Huh? Why you?"

"I woke up earlier, that's why." Yamato smiled before exiting the alleyway.

Mimi growled quietly knowing that he had been awake hours and hours before she was.

* * *

After ten minutes since Yamato passed through the gates of school, Mimi entered with her face down.

"**Mi-chan!**" Mimi felt Miyako suddenly jump on her back causing her to almost fall. Luckily, Mimi was able to maintain a good balance of the added weight. "Eh? Where's Yama-kun?" Miyako added, putting her hand parallel to her eye brows as if she was a first mate spotting land.

Mimi narrowed her eyes and looked straight at Miyako and yelled, "What the hell is your problem? I was about to fall and probably get a concussion and here you are wondering where that good for nothing bastard is? **Are you purposely trying to kill me?**"

Miyako paused after hearing Mimi take two deep breaths. "So, you don't know where he is…?" Mimi sighed.

"Ohayou, Mimi." Koushiro bent to Mimi's eye-level and asked, "Daijoubou?" Mimi took the opportunity to see Koushiro's neat and orderly self. His blazer was buttoned down along with the shirt under it. His pants were pressed. He was neat and orderly as usual.

"I'm barely living…" She managed to say.

"Speaking of living, now do you know where Yama-kun is?" Miyako asked using one hand to keep her balance on Mimi's back and the other as a visor to search for her idol.

Mimi took a good look at her best friend before saying to Koushiro, "Can I kill her?"

Koushiro shook his head in disappointment, "Unfortunately, we need her." He sighed and fixed his posture in order to talk, "Miyako, don't pretend you haven't seen Yamato entering school about ten minute ago."

"Izumi-kun!" Miyako squealed as she jumped down from Mimi's back.

"What? He's only right there, anyway." Koushiro pointed to the crowd of girls around the poor blond. Mimi didn't want to stare at Yamato and _some_ of his fans. However, the wind made the little loose hair strands tickle her forehead. Her eyes were helpless but to follow those strands and happened to see Yamato and his over-obsessed fans.

He didn't respond to their girlish cries, favors, and confessions. He stood there perfectly poised. His hands are deep into his pockets of his black winter-uniform pants. His white shirt was sloppily done. The tail of the shirt in the back was showing, along with the front sides as well. The wrinkly effect was a nice blend. The top button of the shirt was undone and his black uniform tie hung loosely three buttons down. Yamato kept his non-expressive face on and down. Mimi found it surprising that he could remain so calm with all these girls screaming and giggling in front of him.

"Now _that's_ what I don't understand." Mimi said aloud.

"Excuse me?" Koushiro chuckled slightly receiving a glance from Mimi.

"Gomen ne, Izumi-kun." Mimi smiled.

Koushiro remembered that smile before. And he had a special place for that smile. He knew though what happened the last time he had received it. This time he smiled back, hoping that nothing would harm him. (5)

"Those girls are posers." Miyako folded her arms, eyeing her nemeses.

"You say that because…?"

"They cling to him too much."

"Oh, really?" Both Mimi and Koushiro sweatdropped thinking of the ironic twist of words Miyako was sharing with them.

"Yeah, plus they're wearing _I love Yamato_ buttons." Miyako shook her head, "That's just sad."

Mimi looked at her best friend and shook her head in disbelief, '_This comes a girl that stalks him at his own home._' Mimi sighed, "I'm going to forget this ever happened…" Mimi turned her body a full one-eighty degrees with a small wave to Miyako and Koushiro. "Ja ne, Mi—OOF!"

"Mi-chan!"

"Mimi!"

Mimi raised her head from the sudden meeting with the ground. She rubbed the sore bottom of hers and groaned from its slight pain.

"Gomen ne, Ore—" The student paused, then laughed quietly to himself. "So, Tachikawa-san, we meet again." Mimi turned to face him. She smiled sweetly to see Taichi's happy face. "Here, let me help you, it's the least I can do." Taichi extended his hand towards Mimi. She reluctantly took it and was brought up to her feet.

Mimi took a good look at Taichi's version of their school's uniform. His was more sloppy that Yamato's. She thought that Yamato's looked wrinkly, but Taichi took the cake. His shirt was so wrinkled that it looked like it was never iron pressed. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing his white undershirt. The undershirt clang to most of his chest and defined some parts as his abs. His tie was done but like Yamato's it was loosely that it hung several inches down his chest. His sneakers were on. They looked old and somewhat dusty. At least his black pants were normal.

"Yagami-sama, Go—" Mimi tried to hide her blush.

"—Ah, iie. It's was my fault. I was playing soccer with some of my classmates. I guess… I didn't see where I was going." Taichi laughed while a hand scratched the back of his head while the other held the soccer ball.

"Where's your blazer, Yagami-kun? It's October for God's sake!"

"There's no need to talk to me so formally, Mimi. Just plain Taichi will suffice. And my blazer is stuffed in my shoe locker. It suddenly got warmer when we were playing soccer."

'_You've got to be kidding me,_' Mimi thought to herself knowing how small those lockers were.

"Did you come here with Yamato?"

"Ano…we decided not to. He said it was best that no one knew about us."

Feeling slightly uncomfortable talking with him, Mimi turned to see Koushiro and Miyako where she left them, "Oh, let me introduce you to my friends. This is Koushiro and Miyako." Taichi offered his hand to Koushiro, who in return accepted it. Taichi faced Miyako, but almost got the fright of his life. She accepted his handshake and then…_gleamed_. Her eyes started to sparkle and her mouth hung wide open.

"Ha-hai, nice to meet you guys. I'll see you around, Mimi." He smiled towards the brunette.

In return, Mimi made another wave. Taichi nodded before turning around to join his third year pals. She sighed then turned to her two friends and said, "He's nice, isn't he?"

"Mimi, you know him, personally?" Koushiro asked in disbelief.

"Somewhat." Mimi replied nodding trying to hide the smirk on her face.

Koushiro raised a brow, "What does he mean by if you came to school with Yamato?"

"I'll explain to you later Koushiro," Mimi sighed as she examined Miyako face. She knew that face was from somewhere. "Miyako?"

"You personally know Yagami Taichi, _the _Yagami Taichi?"

"I guess," Mimi raised her eyebrow.

"Yagami Taichi is one of the biggest names in our school!" Miyako exclaimed. After seeing that Mimi's expression hasn't changed, she continued, "He is a star athlete in our school. He is also one of the top hottest guys the world has to offer!"

Mimi shook her head. and turned towards the front doors to the school. Koushiro shrugged his shoulders as he caught up with the brunette.

"Tachikawa, didn't you just see his abs through that undershirt of his?" Miyako said while running after Mimi with a slight drool in her mouth.

"Here we go, again," Koushiro prepared himself to sit through another argument between his best friends.

* * *

"And how was your weekend, Aisha-chan?" One of the first year female students walked through the school gates.

"I hated it, Maori-chan. I couldn't get the tickets to that concert I wanted to go to." The one named Aisha groaned.

"That's a good thing," The other student sighed, "**Because I them right here!**" She finished as the three students squealed in delight.

"Yay! Now we can go to that concert featuring Teenage Wolves and Ishida-sama!" Aisha said with a little drool forming. "I still can't believe I'm attending the same high school as him!"

"She's drooling again…" The final student said, becoming a little scared of her friend's actions.

"You don't have to sound like that, Reiya-chan. And don't tell me you don't drool when it comes to Yagami-sama." Maori said elbowing her.

"Well, of course, Yagami-sama is different," Reiya said feeling her palms upon her cheeks and swaying back and forth. "Yagami-sama is more muscular and practically manlier than Ishida-sama."

"That's a lie! I'd say Ishida-sama is manlier!" Reiya defended.

"Yagami-sama!" Aisha shouted.

"What about you, Maori-chan?" The two said in union, catching poor Maori off guard, "Who do you think is manlier?"

"I like both actually," She laughed.

"_Yagami-sama, Go—_"

The three first years turned behind them too see one of their beloved idols helping out Mimi arise from the ground.

"Who the hell is she? And why is she holding Yagami-sama's hand?" Aisha grunted as she made glaring eyes at Mimi.

"Isn't she a second year student?" Maori asked remembering Mimi's appearance before.

"Let's get closer! I can't hear them!" Aisha mumbled trying to love closer to the two.

Reiya and Maori stared at the obsessed fan then each other. "I still say Ishida-sama is manlier," Reiya commented before Aisha grabbed both of their collars.

_Where's your blazer, Yagami-kun? It's October for God's sake!_

_There's no need to talk to me so formally, Mimi. Just plain Taichi will suffice. And my blazer is stuffed in my shoe locker It suddenly got warmer when we were playing soccer._

Aisha gasped, "She gets to call him by his first name?"

"Oh brother…" Reiya sighed.

_Did you come here with Yamato?_

_Ano…we decided not to. He said it was best that no one knew about us._

"What the hell does she mean by that?" Reiya fumed.

"Maybe they somehow met each other and became friends?" Maori brought out a suggestion. She instead received glares from the two. "O_kay, _maybe not."

"That's it! We're got to find out what the hell this Mimi character has to do with Ishida and Yagami."

"Why me?" Maori sighed.

* * *

His back was slouched down. His thumbs were twiddling for a while trying to avoid bring up the topic again. "So... that's what he meant by going home with you?" Koushiro asked Mimi as he sat on the seat next to Mimi in her class room as the bell signaled for the break to begin. All Mimi could do was nod almost being embarrassed of the whole situation. "And that means you met Yagami through Ishida." Koushiro commented seeing that the pieces finally fit together. Mimi nodded in reply. "I see," He chuckled to himself, "It's strange that you two ended up getting the same apartment."

"It's not funny, Kou-kun!" Mimi pouted.

"But it is!" He said in between his chuckles. "But you also have to be honest with me. I deserve the same respect as Miyako." He changed the attitude of his voice. He leaned in close to Mimi's ear, cupped his hands and whispered, "_Did you guys **do it **yet?_"

"**IZUMI KOUSHIRO!**" Mimi exclaimed in shock. She would have expected this response from Miyako, but Koushiro? That was almost impossible. "You—have—a—dirty—dirty—mind!" Mimi stated after a hit on his head with her small notebook (the ones that aren't hard covered).

Koushiro continued to chuckle as his hands touched the ides of his head and duck from Mimi's hits. "Gomen nasai! Gomen nasai!" He said repeatedly.

"You're terrible," Mimi stopped and calmed down.

"But, you know, even if you guys agreed not to attract any attention towards yourselves, you still get their attention."

"_Their_?"

Koushiro chuckled looking at Mimi. "You have stalkers, Mimi. They are three first-years that have been following you." Mimi raised her eyebrow and looked towards the direction where Koushiro's glance was heading. The three first year's heads suddenly hid behind the window leading towards the hallway. Mimi had to laugh when she heard _she sees us, hide!_

"Why are they watching me?" Mimi turned back to Koushiro.

"Apparently," he paused opening his palms with his fingers stilled intertwined with each other then to her, "they're big fans of Ishida and Yagami. I suppose they got jealous when they found out you were somehow tied into their life."

"So, I'm going to have them as stalkers; that's nice." Mimi said sarcastically. Then she laughed at herself, "You know, when you said stalkers, I thought you mean like guys who had secret crushes on me." She paused, remembering that sudden predicament. "Gomen."

"It's okay," Koushiro smiled making a playful punch on Mimi's arm, "As long as I'm your friend, I'm okay with that. And speaking of friends," He paused, noticing the silence between them for the passed time, "Where's Miyako?"

"Miyako's in Phys Ed, I think." Mimi stood to walk towards the window. She peeped to see the purple-haired girl huffing and puffing in the track field. Miyako rested her hands on her knees as she took deep breaths. Mimi could even hear the coach screaming _Com'on! Com'on! You're out of shape you sissies. Especially you, Inoue! Keep moving!_

"She has gym, now?" Koushiro asked walking towards the window and stood next to Mimi with one hand in his pocket, and the other leaning on the window frame.

"Well, she's not supposed to be in that class. She decided to join the class for today because _that class has the hottest guys_." She mimicked Miyako's voice.

"I see, Ishida and Yagami are coming from behind her." Koushiro commented. They laughed in unison seeing Miyako suddenly run after seeing the two bishounen ran passed her.

_**DING-DONG-DING-DOOOONG  
DONG-DING-DONG-DIIIING**_

"Break's over," Koushiro smiled solemnly to Mimi noticing that the type of conversation they had was short-lived. Mimi caught this stare. His dark black eyes didn't have much effect on her. But to Koushiro, the little sunlight reflecting on her eyes through the window was had a reverse effect.

Mimi nodded, "It's been nice talking to you, Kou-kun."

Koushiro's smile remained, "You too, ja ne." Without another word said, Koushiro pushed himself from the window frame and walked towards the door. Mimi's gaze followed Koushiro as he went his way to his homeroom. Mimi turned back to Miyako running around. She folded her arms over the window's ledge and rested her head on the arms. She watched the students of the PE class continue to run. She caught a glimpse of Yamato.

Him.

Argh.. the idea of his rude attitude towards her made her stomach churn with disgust. Of all the brilliant ideas, pretending to not be friends was not the best. How can they-WAIT!

Mimi got up from her resting pose. Since then did she ever consider herself friends with him? Mimi literally shook the idea off. Her gaze went back to Yamato who was already done with his laps. He appeared to be cold towards his classmates. He'd avoid glances, make quick responds, and (most importantly) ignored the reactions by the girls. Yet, when Taichi would approach him, Yamato would respond positively. He would talk, interact, smile... He has a nice smile.

Mimi smiled back remembered times when he would make a smirk after he had argued with her for-**HOLD ON!**

Mimi got up wide eyed. What was wrong with her?**  
**

* * *

"She sees us! Hide!" Maori whispered as the tree head's ducked until they weren't able to be seen.

"Guys, I don't understand why we have to do this. It's obvious that she doesn't have any ties with Ishida **or **Yagami."

"She can be secretly talking to them, though." Aisha suggested.

"—Or worse, dating them secretly!" Reiya added.

"Demo…" Maori tried to think of an excuse. She thought what they were doing was stupid. "But she's talking to Izumi-san."

"She probably wants him to get both Ishida-kun and Yagami-kun alone to herself." Reiya commented while an eager nod from Aisha.

Maori sighed, "So, what do you suggest?"

"We'll keep an eye on her! Something's bound to turn up!" The two said together with their fists up in the air.

Maori stared at her friends in disbelief. There's no way they could keep this charade up. Then again, they were just a trio of crazy first years obsessed with two of the hottest guys in school. "Sure, why not?" She sighed as she raised her fist along with them. Maori closed her eyes and allowed her head to lean on the wall behind her. "God help us…"

* * *

_**DING-DONG-DING-DOOOONG  
DONG-DING-DONG-DIIIING**_

"So, Mi-chan, what do you plan on doing this afternoon?" Miyako asked with curiosity as the trio walked outside. The final bell has rung. Every student continues their daily rituals. However, Miyako wasn't interested in hers. She was more interested in Mimi's life.

"Go home, do some homework, watch some television, then eat." Mimi summed it up.

"Sounds like fun, can I come over?" Miyako smiled receiving only _what-the-hell-is-your-problem _looks from Koushiro and Mimi.

"In what way does that sound interesting to you?" Koushiro asked digging his hands into his pockets.

"Since Yamato is more likely to be there!" Miyako said ending with a little wink.

With a little sweatdrop appearing on both Koushiro and Mimi's faces, Mimi said, "He's usually working though. I don't think he'll even be home—"

"—_Oi! Tachikawa!_" Taichi called for Mimi. Mimi turned to Taichi who just waved in a friendly matter along with Yamato by his side, looking like his usual self.

Mimi made signals and moved her lips that could be read as _It's okay, Don't talk to me with Ishida around, _or _Are you sure you're talking to me?_

After a good time of argument silently, Taichi walked up to Mimi and grabbed her arm, "Com'on already." With a great grip, Taichi took Mimi away with him, leaving her two friends being with a puzzled look.

Though Mimi was dragged to Yamato in 5 meters in length, it felt as if she was dragged 5 kilometers. Everyone in the school had to stop and watch. They all stared at the sudden _encounter_ Taichi made with Mimi. After all, the weekend vacation was only for three days. Mimi stared at the grip Taichi had on her. It wasn't a hard or a tight grip. It was rather like a firm one. She stared at Taichi, who had a cocky smile. It was more likely to make her worry, but she didn't have that kind of thought about him.

"See, Ishida? I told you it was Tachikawa!" Taichi laughed bringing Mimi to the side of Yamato.

"Oh, I see." Yamato glared at Mimi knowing that she had broke their agreement. Mimi returned the glare by making an _it-wasn't-me-idiot_ look.

"So, what are ya gonna do now, guys?" Taichi continued smiling without realizing what he has done.

"Go home." The two replied in unison. Yamato glared at Mimi as she did vice versa. Then they faced Taichi and said, "Go to work." Again, with the unison! Yamato and Mimi gave each other the same glance and said, " Study…then work!" at the same time.

After a final glare, Yamato turned to best friend first and said, "_I'm _going home, right after _I _go to _work_." He emphasized the words I'm, I and work, making sure that the whole student body doesn't misunderstood.

"Un! You'll do that. _I'm _going to _my _home, then _I'll _study…_at my home_." Mimi nodded, doing the same.

"And you know what?" Taichi asked bring his right arm over Yamato's shoulder and the other around Mimi's waist. "I think I'll go with you two."

"Oh, great…" Yamato laughed sarcastically, "But, oh darn, I have to go to work, best bud. I guess I can't join in your journey."

"That's okay," Taichi smiled, "I'm sure Mimi wouldn't mind if I would walk her home." He finished as he faced to Mimi with his smile.

"Mimi's doesn't mind," Mimi replied with a hint of joy in her voice.

Yamato looked at Mimi's face after she had said her opinion about the situation. '_She's got to be kidding, right?_' He thought to himself. He understood that Mimi's a big girl, and that Taichi's a good guy and all, but they were going to be teenagers in an apartment alone. Yamato knew he doesn't have a-what's a good word...? A give-into-pressure problem... but could he say the same for Taichi? Yamato was technically responsible for her because he was _the man of the house_. If something were to happen like damage of rented property, wrecking the apartment, getting Mimi knocked up—_okay, _Yamato's inner thoughts kicked in, _that's wrong beyond all reason._

"Ya know," Yamato added, "I'll just call in sick."

Mimi and Taichi's faces lit up in delight. Mimi jumped and squealed where as Taichi placed Yamato in a headlock, laughing. "Okay, then," Taichi cheered, "let's go!" He proudly said and started marching off campus.

With Taichi gone, Yamato grabbed Mimi's shoulders and leaned towards her ear. "_I'm going to have a talk with Mr. Cheerful and Ms. I-forgot-the-agreement…_" Yamato whispered to her. Mimi looked at Yamato suspiciously before having to be pushed off the campus by Yamato and being close behind Taichi.

* * *

After the front door of apartment no. 431's lock was secure, Yamato led their dear, dear friend, Taichi, and his dear, dear roommate, Mimi, to the dear, dear couch. Taichi and Mimi sat side by side one another and stared at each other for a split second before facing Yamato, who was walking across the floor back and forth.

"Now, I'm very sure that both of you know why you're here."

Both nodded. Mimi started, "I live here—"

"—And I," Taichi paused, "—I just followed."

"—You more likely lead," Mimi commented.

"—I think I did too—"

"—**that's not the point, you two!**" Yamato shouted causing both Mimi and Taichi to jump in fright. "We had an agreement, Mimi. You have promised not to have any interaction with me **or **Taichi!"

"Ey, ey, Yamato, you don't have to be so hard on the girl." Taichi defended.

"You too!" Yamato exclaimed pointing a finger.

"_Me?_" Taichi asked in skepticism, "What the hell did I do?"

"You've seen me at work yesterday. I've told you about the plan. It's to protect the truth about Tachikawa and me living together."

"Couldn't they believe that you guys met each other over break?"

"_I don't believe this…_" Yamato sighed as he crash landed on the arm chair opposite of the two. Yamato made his hands cover his face with utter disbelief. He sighed, "I might as well order dinner. This is going to be a _long _night." And with that said, he stretched his hand and grabbed his cordless phone. "Either of you got money?"

The two looked at Yamato with a solemn look, though Taichi had more of a half smile. Yamato groaned to himself before dialing the number.

* * *

"That was the best dinner I ever had!" Mimi exclaimed leaning back on her chair.

"That's because you didn't have to pay for it." Yamato grunted.

"Well, I thank you very, very much for the meal, Yamato. I gladly appreciate it!" Taichi smirked as he rose from his chair. "I guess gotta go home now. Hey, Yamato, can I pack this for Hikari?" Taichi took a small proportion of the left-over meal.

"Knock yourself out." He said gesturing him to take whatever he wanted. Taichi took some food and packed it into the empty Tupperware Yamato handed him. He made a small salute to the two and said, "Itekimasu!"

Mimi's pupils grew a bit after she allowed Taichi's previous words to sink into her head. "Chotto matte!" Mimi exclaimed standing up and following Taichi to the door. "Taichi!"

"Hmm?" Taichi turned just putting on his sneakers. Mimi sat next to Taichi outrageously close because of the space given to them. This made Taichi blush a bit.

"Ano…this is just pure curiosity. You don't have to answer my question if you find it too—" Mimi somehow managed to say in one breath.

"—you might as ask now since you're here." He laughed a bit trying to calm her down.

"Ano…who's Hikari?" Mimi asked with a little color running through her cheeks. In return, Taichi stared at Mimi with his mouth slightly open and his eyes read as _what-the_. "You know, gomen nasai. I had **no **right to ask—" Mimi shook her head turning her gaze away from Taichi.

"—she's my sister—" He said tying his shoe laces.

"—and I don't know why—" Mimi paused realizing what he just said. "You're sister?"

Taichi laughed, "Yeah, my sister. Yagami Hikari."

"Oh," Mimi sighed with a little _whew _in her breath, "for a minute there I thought she—"

"—was my girlfriend?" He smiled at Mimi, finishing her sentence and his last shoelace. He rested his arms on his knees, looking forward towards the door, and said, "Yeah, I get that impression a lot. I guess it's because I'm very protective of her. And I take care of her too." He said with a little wave of his doggie bag. Mimi couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "She's all I got, I guess. And…" He lets out a small laugh, "and I guess I'm still looking for that special girl."

"_Special girl? _As in your future girlfriend? You want someone really committed? At the age of what…17, 18?" Mimi asked knowing that third years were usually around that age.

"Actually, yeah," Taichi took the opportunity to look at Mimi's reaction. She was defiantly caught of guard with that answer. He could tell because of her sudden intake of breath and her widened eyes. "Well, I better be going." He arose from the floor and made a small salute to Mimi, "Itekimasu." He closed the door behind him.

With her bottom still on the ground, she smiled warmly and said, "Be safe, Taichi."

"_I saw that._"

Mimi's heart jumped after hearing Yamato's voice behind her. She rotated at an one-eighty degree angle and looked at Yamato leaning against the wall with a small smirk on his face. Mimi got up and walked passed him and into the dining while saying to him, "I don't know what you are talking about." She grabbed the dirty plates from the table and entered the kitchen where she started to clean those plates. Yamato made a small laugh and decided to play a little.

"Oh, com'on, I saw what you were doing." He smirked while leaning against the ledge of the window-less frame that peered through the kitchen. "You were flirting with him."

"I was not." Mimi scrubbed the plates. "If you must know, he was putting the moves on me." Mimi paused and turned towards Yamato. His brows were raising up and down. He was making fun of her and he knew it.

"Yeah right, Taichikawa."

She grunted turning her attention back to the dishes. "I'm serious. He was telling me about his future girlfriend and how sensitive he is when it comes to his sister's well being."

"Everyone knows that he has a sister and how protective he is about her. She's still in middle school."

"And what about his _future girlfriend_?"

Yamato sighed, "He's been in relationships before, Mi-_chin_. He just wants a stable relationship." Mimi closed the running water and wiped her hand on the cloth closest to her. She eyed Yamato with a hand on her hip, who in return jolted back a bit. "What?"

"You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Come again?"

"You don't want Taichi and me together. That's the only reason why you don't want me to be with him."

"That's not the reason why I don't want you—"

"—**a-ha!**" Mimi exclaimed pointing a finger at him.

Yamato blinked. "_A-ha _what?"

"You don't want me to be with him."

"I don't believe this," Yamato sighed as he turned around towards his room. He was going to loose this battle. There was no hope in trying.

"I bet he really does care about me _and _my well being." Mimi smiled with a little blush at the thought. "He would probably react if I had told him that I started to have stalkers."

Yamato stopped. He turned to meet Mimi's gaze. "Wait, you have stalkers?"

"Hai," Mimi laughed wickedly in her mind, "I started having some today."

"Some?"

"I have received word that I have three."

Yamato's brow raised. "Three?"

"Yup!

"Three stalkers?"

"Yup!"

Yamato allowed a couple of silent seconds to pass before he could say this, "…**hahahahahahahahaha!**"

"You're laughing?" Mimi questioned, "De-demo, this is a serious matter!"

_**RIIING!**_

"Hai," He said in between laughing heading towards his phone, "You—_snort_—are—_snort_—in—_snort_—grave—_snort_—danger!" Mimi turned her head to the side and walked down the hallway leading towards her room. When her room's door slammed shut, Yamato shook his head, "Stalkers…"

_**RIIING!**_

Yamato picked up the cordless phone, "Moshi-moshi?" His eyes widened a bit hearing the person on the other line.

* * *

The next morning, around seven-thirty, usually most students would be just getting up to start the next school day. Yet, Mimi wasn't one of them. She was already up, live and kicking. She sat on the table next to the kitchen eat her piece of toast. A creak heard from Yamato's door swung open. Mimi could hear him sniffling through the air, smelling the aroma of Mimi's breakfast.

Discombobulated, Yamato walked into the living room leading into the kitchen and looked towards her, "What the…?"

"Ohayou," was all that Mimi could say. Yamato's hair looked like it was pulled by a magnet to opposite areas. His pajamas were composed of plaid pants and a faded grey shirt.

"Why are you up so early? And in uniform no doubt?" He said in a groggy tone on his way towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to school first." She replied with a smile.

"Fine, I don't care." Yamato sighed taking two slices of bread and placing them into the toaster.

"Wait, that's it?" Mimi nearly dropped her breakfast. "No sarcastic come backs? No argument? No nothing?"

Yamato paused for dramatic thought then said, "Yeah, that's basically it." The toaster popped out his slices of bread and placed them on a plate. He made his way towards the table and sat on the opposite end of Mimi.

"Okay, if that's how it is, I'm going to school." Mimi swallowed the last bit of her toast and walked towards the front door.

"Eh? So early?" Yamato asked with a slight suspicion as she walked by.

Mimi nodded while putting on her sneakers. "I walk, if you haven't noticed. _Plus, _I wanna show off my sneakers." Mimi said looking at the article of clothing.

Yamato sighed, "Suit yourself, Mi-_chin_."

"**Would you stop calling me that?**" Mimi shouted, "I hate that nickname."

"Gomen ne, Mi-_chin_." Mimi groaned. Yamato leaned against the wall leading towards the front door, "Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you. I have to meet with someone later today. So, I want you to go straight home. "

"You have to meet someone?" Mimi asked in clarification. "Later today?"

"Yeah," Yamato made a small nod, "Later today. So, I want you to go straight home."

"Okay, dad," Mimi said before finishing the final touches of her shoes. "Hai! Itekimasu!" Mimi waved to Yamato playfully before closing the door.

Yamato stared at the door blankly and shook his head after words.

* * *

"Ah! It's such a nice morning today!" Mimi stretched her arms wide. "Nothing weird or wrong must come near this day!" She entered the school grounds and made her way into the school building.

"Ah! Tachikawa-sempai!" A voice cried. Mimi turned to see a first year student running towards her. "Ohayou," She said before stopping in front of Mimi with deep breaths.

"Ohayou," Mimi said in reply. Mimi examined this first year's state. She was huffing and puffing, Mimi assumed that something serious had happened, "Daijoubou?"

"Ah! My friend is badly hurt! She needs help!" The first year cried.

"O-o-okay," Mimi found this too sudden, "Ta-take me to her." The first year grabbed Mimi's arm and took her off the trail to the building. Mimi followed the student as they turned a corner.

"She's here!"

"Are you hur—" Mimi was about to ask as she stepped into the back of the school building where the first year showed her. Mimi stopped her sentence when she saw the other two first year okay, without any injury.

"We're okay, thanks for asking." Reiya said with a little smirk.

"It was very nice of you to come to her rescues when she doesn't really need it, Tachikawa-san." The one who called her said from behind.

"**What the hell are you psycho first years gonna do?**" Mimi raised her firms in front of her face. "**If it's a damn fight you want, you'll need to contact your health insurance immediately!**"

"Com'on guys," Maori said, "I don't think it's necessary to do this."

"Like hell it is! Reiya ignored all six guys for just a shot with Ishida-sama." Aisha patted her poor, unfortunate friend on the head.

"If you want Ishida, you can have him, I'm not interested." Mimi sighed turning around.

"Then you can't touch or talk to Yagami-sama either!" Aisha stated.

"Sorry, sweetie, I think I already passed the stage of having a childish crushes." Mimi sighed once more.

"And we have never become sluts neither!" Reiya laughed.

"What are you insisting, first year?" Mimi turned fuming at the little runt.

"_Reiya-chan, I think we should go now._" Maori whispered while tugging on their shirts.

"Are you insisting I'm a slut because I'm friends with your obsessions?" Mimi fumed as she approached them.

"_Reiya-chan, Aisha-chan, she's scary…_" Maori commented.

"**Bitches, I'll—!**" Mimi prepared to roll her selves.

"You should censor that mouth of yours, Mi-_chin_." Yamato came and covered Mimi's mouth before she could say anything else. Mimi's pupils shrank seeing Yamato coming to her rescue. "Now, what are you doing behind the school building?"

"I—I—I wa—was…" Mimi was practically speechless.

"You'll have to excuse my girlfriend for her foul mouth." Yamato smiled to the first years, leaving the blank expressions on their faces, especially Mimi.

'_Girlfriend? As in one-word, girlfriend?_' Mimi stood still speechless.

"If you'll excuse us," Yamato smiled leaving the dumbfounded first years. "Com'on, Mi-_chin. _You didn't get your school shoes yet."

* * *

"**What the hell was that for?**" Mimi screamed while Yamato placed his school shoes on.

"I should ask you the same." Yamato replied a bit irritated, as he got up to placed his sneakers inside. He slammed the shoe locker closed. "You said you had stalkers."

"I did. _They _were the stalkers."

"**I imagined forty-year old perverts that try every little trick in the book in order to see your underwear! Not little adolescents with minor crushes on Taichi and me!**" Yamato shouted back.

Mimi blushed slightly on his response, "You…you were concerned about me?"

"Wha-what?" Yamato hid his blush under his bangs, "I needed the other half of the rent too." He pushed her out of the way to make his way to homeroom. Mimi smirked as she followed the blond _boyfriend_.

"And I'm _allegedly_ your girlfriend?" Mimi asked with her brow raised.

"How else would you explain we're seen together no matter how hard we try?" Yamato sighed. "This way, you don't have to strain yourself by waking up every morning so early." Yamato hid his blush one more time, "We can just walk together."

Mimi smiled after hearing that statement. Somehow walking home with Yamato seemed to be the highlight of the day till he said, "If you're going to be my girlfriend, you'll need a bigger chest."

Mimi stopped walking. Her mouth gaped open. "I should hurt you for saying that!" Mimi turned a heel and headed toward the second year's part of the building.

* * *

That afternoon, Mimi walked down the streets of Odaiba to her apartment. '_To be Yamato's girlfriend…_' She thought to herself. After thinking too strongly, she accidentally knocked over some items from someone's hand. Mimi turned to see the girl frantically picking up her items and contents of her purse.

"Ah! Gomen nasai," Mimi apologized repeatedly till all the items were picked up.

"It's okay," The girl said in reply as she dusted off herself. Mimi observed the girl before her. She wore a vintage brown shirt with simple jeans that was rolled up mid-way to her knees with cute tennis sneakers. Her figure was thin and slender. She also seemed athletically built too. Her hair was a dark red, short and was tied back with short strands that were not able to be held up.

"Okay then," Mimi nodded, "Ja ne." she turned to leave but this girl stopped her by tugging on her sleeve.

"I'm sorry if I'm bothering you in anyway, but can you help me look for this place." The girl asked by pulling out a card with a restaurant name on it. "You see, I'm new in town and I don't know where this place is. You seem to be a trustworthy person."

"Well, I do consider myself one," Mimi laughed as the girl joined in. "Sure, I'll take you there."

Already several minutes into their walk, Mimi felt as if she could relate to this girl. She seemed to have similar interests as her. It turns out that this girl is going to be transferred into Mimi's school the next day.

"So what brings you to Odaiba?" Mimi asked while walking through the zebra walk.

"Well, I wanted to become closer to my fiancée."

"Fi-fi-_fiancée?_" Mimi questioned and had a nod in reply. "But you're so young!"

"It was slightly arranged." She laughed. "We met when we were kids. Our parents watched us and said it was best for us to get married in the future. This would help their businesses as well."

"Oh," Mimi sighed, "It's all because of money."

"But I did love my fiancée." The girl smiled. "He is the nicest man to me. He is so sweet as well. He didn't treat me like a respected girl just because he was supposed to. I mean,even outside of the house, he is always polite."

"Sounds like a great guy." Mimi replied, "I'm glad that you didn't give up on him."

"Me too." The girl's frown suddenly disappeared, "My parents want me to bring him back home and make him forget about living in Odaiba. But if he chose to stay and live here, then I'll follow him here." She remembered his face then smiled again.

"That's _so_ romantic." Mimi cooed. Mimi couldn't help but smile. This girl... she was so smitten by love. If this girl was able to have a happy ending, who's to say that Mimi couldn't have her's. Her gaze changed to see the familiar restaurant about two meters away. "Here it is. It's been nice meeting you."

"You too." The girl smiled. "Oh, yes!" She buried her hand into her purse and took out a calling card. "Since I'll be living here, we can keep in touch."

"Oh, yes, that's a great idea." Mimi said excitedly, "But I left my calling cards at home."

"It's okay," The girl cheered, "At least you have my number."

"True." Mimi nodded then turned to leave when the girl grabbed her sleeve again.

"Why don't you meet my fiancée?"

"Me? Your fiancée? No, no it's okay." Mimi replied pulling back from this girl's tugs, "I—I have to get home. My boy…friend told me to go home immediately." Mimi purposed said to make her think she had to go as soon as possible.

"Nonsense. If you got along with me, you can get along with my fiancée." The girl pulled Mimi into the restaurant. The place itself wasn't as elegant but it was a cute little place.

'_Okay, this is just a quick **hi, hello, bye** deal. I can surely get home in time before Yamato does._' Mimi thought to herself while the girl looked for her fiancée. '_And she did say that she and her boyfriend are similar. Who knows? I might be introduced to some of his rich friends._' Mimi smiled to herself.

"I found him!" The girl squealed pulling Mimi half-way across the restaurant.

'_At least she's happy,_' Mimi thought.

"Oh, I didn't catch your name." She commented walking her way towards the table.

"It's Mimi. And you're…?"

"Sora…" She replied.

'_Sora, eh?_' Mimi asked herself, '_**Sora? **You mean…?_'

"Mimi, I'd like to introduce to you my fiancée," Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop when Sora introduced, "Yamato."

"**Yamato?**" Mimi repeated wide-eyed.

"Mimi?" He asked in the same tone.

'_Are you kidding me?_' Mimi felt like time had stopped and laughed at their facial expression.

_**Ishida Yamato has a fiancée?

* * *

**_

(1) _Hey! Wait a minute!_  
(2) _Wait a minute!_  
(3) _I'm off… (as in going to somewhere)_  
(4) _I got this from a text book, so don't kill me, okay? I read that students have to follow a certain "trail" on their way to school. I think it said it prevents something from happening like assaults for example._  
(5) (sniffs) _I think I smell a small interlude!_ (laughs) _If you're interested in this one, please include in your review. If not, I can just mention what happened._

_Hihi, everyone! School's over, yes! Woohoo! Hahaha, but I got it done in a difficult way. Yup, but that's to your support I was able to survive. And a Silver Presidential Award! Yay! And perfect attendance! (laughs) I love you, guys! The following are this fic's heroes:_

**can't think-** (laughs) I'm glad that you're enjoying the series as much as I am.  
**Cosmos-Choas**- A silent reader, I see. (laughs) I don't mind really, I'm just happy to see that you enjoyed the story so far.  
**CrAzYbOuTaNiMe**- It's nice to know that you're crazy about Anime. (laughs) Wow, I'm in a laughable mood.  
**Diamonte** – Another silent reader? Wow! (laughs) Thanks for the support though!  
**Digital Damita** – To be honest, you're one of the reasons why I started fanfictions. I was so happy when you reviewed. In fact, I didn't even know you were in FFdotNET. I read your fanfictions on your website years back. I think it's dead now though. Oh well, thanks so much for supporting this fic!  
**EUR3K4-** Ah, EUR3K4, I always looked liked that little face you added into your review. I always enjoyed it. I always wondered what your penname meant. (laughs)  
**Jordsan**- Another silent reader? (laughs)  
**Kirashakisama**- Two in a row?  
**Mattmimiishida**- Three in a row?  
**MimiandMatt**- I guess that ends it. (laughs) I don't consider this fic to be the best. I really don't. But I appreciate your review. It made me blush.  
**Pan-kuzu**- Pan! Where can I start about Pan? I'm in love with Pan! **I lurve you too and always will! **(laughs) Pan is one (out of bizillions) of the reasons why I wanted to continue writing, no matter how crappy I was at the time. Reason being, she's been supporting since the beginning. I was nobody. (Yes, it does get a bit cheesy from here) And Pan was there reviewing my stories, no matter how crappy they were. She even guessed right on one part of my other fic, She's a Gray?. (laughs) Pan won! She makes me feel so calm and easy, like a big sister would. Aww, man. Pan rocks! Thanks for your inspiring words!  
**PiNk PriNcEsSzZ**- Are there any bad things to say about you? You're so sweet. And you're Japanese too? Interesting! Greetings from America!  
**Pinkdigi**- Too bad the four in a row wouldn't count.  
**SailorNeo**- Loved your review. Short and right to the point. (laughs)  
**sakurastar-008**- Another silent one?  
**starry eyeddaydreamer**- Two in a row this time!  
**Tamao Chan xP**- That makes it three in a row! And you're Tamao! (laughs) I love Tamao from SK.  
**Tiffany Dincht**- Four in a row! Ladies and gentleman, I've hit a new record!  
**Timea Macska**- (laughs) I love your review. And you're a German fan, too? (laughs) Don't feel bad about your grammar. There's a quote from…Evangelion, I think, "_You're thinking in Japanese! If you must think, do it in German!_" (laughs)

_Some wonderful honorable mentions:_

**Yhi  
Coffeefresh  
xInfernal  
krNKyutEe  
Isabel Black**

_Thanks for the support! And the reviews! They are what keeps me going! Plus, if I get enough, it might motivate me to update quicker! (snickers)_


	5. The Boy, the Girl, and the Other Girl

Chapter 5: _The Boy, the Girl, and the Other Girl  
_

* * *

Yamato sat at the booth for a good amount of time now. He glanced at his wrist watch. '_She's late…_' He finalized. He cleared his throat again. He couldn't help but feel almost anxious to see her again. '_How long as it been now? Almost a year?_

"_Ne, ne, Ishida-kun!" The five-year old red-head breathed as she ran after the blond boy in the grassy area. Yamato heard her girly voice in a great distance. He turned to see her attempting to catch up. He sighed as she managed to make her way to him._

"_You really don't have to call me _Ishida-kun_." Yamato said simply as Sora rested her hands on her bended knees gasping for air. "We're not strangers anymore."_

"_De-demo…" She continued to inhale-exhale deeply._

"_Would you like me to call you Takenouchi-san?" Yamato asked._

"_Iie, demo—"_

"_Would you?" Yamato curtly asked once more. Sora shook her head. Yamato sighed, "Okay then." He laid out his hand to Sora who looked at him blankly in return. "Come on. After all that running, I'm willing to bet you are way too tired to go back." _

_Sora looked at Yamato's hand and back to him with a small tint of red. "Arigatou…Yamato!"_

_Yamato saw that small her glow in her eyes. He quickly diverted it with his own flushed face. _

Ten minutes late. His mind quickly faded back to the clock on his wrist. He started to question if he should have just picked her up from her building.

He heard a familiar squeal. He knew it. Takenouchi Sora has arrived. He quietly placed his menu down in order to greet his friend properly.

"Mimi, I'd like to introduce to you my fiancée," He heard Sora start.

'_Oh, she brought a friend?_' He pondered. As soon as his name was called he raised his head.

"**Yamato?**" Mimi repeated wide-eyed.

And low and behold, his secret roommate stood before him. "Mimi?" He asked in the same tone. Yamato was dumbfounded. So many things rushed through his mind: What the hell was going on? Why was Mimi here? And how the hell did Sora find her?

'_She…she's Yamato's fiance?_' Mimi repeated once more in her mind. Surly, it wasn't possible. He was still a teenager. _She _was a teenager. There was no way in hell that any parent would let them get married. Well, Mimi had to admit. It was their parents that arranged all this.

'_But that's not the point!_' Mimi screamed in her head.

"Oh, you two know each other?" Sora smiled happily seeing the expression Mimi and Yamato shared.

Yamato broke the stare first. "Sort of…"

"Oh, good, there is no need of further introductions." Sora continued to smiled, still unaware of the story. Sora took her seat next to Yamato. She turned to her new friend but instead saw her departing. "Ah, Mi-chan!" Mimi froze hearing her name. "Stay here with us! I'm sure, Yamato won't mind! Ne?"

Unfortunately, Yamato's response was silence.

Mimi turned in slowly to meet Sora's eyes. She couldn't help but chuckled. "Gomen ne, Sora. I…etto…have to go home! Hai…home…" Mimi sweatdropped as she scratched the back of her head. "I have to…do some homework. Ah-ha, darn that English homework." Mimi smiled in a fake matter as she tried to hide their embarrassing encounter.

"Nonsense…" Sora scolded as she stood up and retrieved her friend.

Sora placed her hands on Mimi's shoulder and gently pushed her towards Yamato's table. '_Geez, for a person her size, she's pretty strong…_' Mimi thought to herself as she tried to force her body to stop Sora's force. So far, no good. "Etto…I have to go home now. I-I-I can't walk home alone after five. There are some guys that try to do funny business where I lived. If you know what I mean," Mimi lied.

Sora smiled, "Don't worry. I'm sure Yamato will escort you home safely."

'_He'll get me home alright._' Mimi scoffed in her mind. '_Safely may not be the way though_.'

* * *

And of course, she was right.

As soon as the door of Apartment 431 closed, another war broke out.

"I specifically remember telling you to go straight home." Yamato grunted as he tore off his sneakers at the genkan (1).

"Well, I was _on _my way home," Mimi yelled back in reply as she let checked her answering machine, "Till I met Sora-chan."

"What?" Yamato yelled as Mimi made an attempt to ignore him. "Has your parents ever told you to never talk to strangers?"

"Oh please, she didn't have an eye patch and a weird smell of sex!" Mimi yelled in sarcasm. "So, naturally, I found nothing wrong!"

"—you trusted a complete stranger!" Yamato grunted pulling his hair.

"I'm not listening! Lah-lah-lah!" Mimi replied, rather immaturely. She raised her palms to cover her ears. She continued to move down to the corridor leading to their bedrooms.

"Tachikawa—"

"I can't hear you!" Mimi said in a signing tone.

"Damn you, Tachi—"

"**Lah-lah-lah!**" Mimi continued to yell, blocking Yamato's voice. She walked inside her room. Yamato grunted as he opened the door to her room. Mimi sat on her bed. She made a heavy sign after creating a song with only the words 'lah'. (2)

Yamato started to pace back and forth on Mimi's floor. "You have no right in prying in my business."

"Walk any faster and **you'll burn a hole on the floor!**" Mimi ended with a shouting tone grabbing a pillow from her bed to hug.

"Are you evening listening to me? Do you really intend on making my life miserable till the day I die?"

"Ey, ey! _You're _the one who decided to make a little '_rendezvous_' with your finance!" Mimi made such outrageous hand gestures to emphasize such words.

"Oh, don't change the subject! I never told you to follow me!" Yamto yelled back with his finger pointing directly at her.

As a result, Mimi chuckled. "For God's sake, why would I follow you? And was there a sign that said _The Great Ishida Yamato is eating here_? I don't think so, _pal!_" Mimi scoffed. "In fact, why didn't you tell her you were being roommates with a girl?"

Yamato stammered. "I-I-I just didn't want to tell her that's all."

"Ah-ha!" Mimi laughed with a smile as she jumped up from her bed. "Admit it, Ishida! Like me, you are embarrassed about being roommates with the opposite gender!"

"Don't be stupid." Yamato turned at his heel to exit the room.

"**No! **I think it is _you _that is being stupid!" Mimi responded in hot pursuit.

"Matte…" He paused as his feet reached the corridor. He turned to face her with his brow raised. "I don't understand how you can change into defensive position of a conversation to an offensive in one, simple statement."

"Easy," Mimi smiled as the frame of the door was on her hands, "I'm a girl." With that said she closed the door shut on his face.

Yamato stared at the closed door with his eyes in a mix of confusion and anger. Truly, he did not understand the nature—let alone the thoughts—of a teenage girl.

* * *

The next morning seemed too quiet for its good. Mimi and Yamato woke up in their regular time, ate regular their breakfast, walked on their regular pace to school. So what was different you may ask? Well… it all began with Taichi.

"**_Ohayou!_**" Taichi yelled and seemed to jump out of no where. This surprised the roommates. "Mou… what's with you guys this morning? No enthusiasm…"

"Gomen ne, Taichi…" Mimi sighed a bit. "Yesterday wasn't really a good day for us."

"Then I suppose you heard the news." Taichi responded as they continued their walk to school.

"News?" The two said in unison.

Taichi nodded, "There's a new student that transferred in yesterday."

Yamato questioned, "A new—"

"—transfer student?" Mimi finished as she broke into thought.

The two roommates looked at each other with curious eyes. "…it can't be?"

"You two know him?"

"Him?" They said again in unison.

Taichi paused slightly to raise his brow, "Yes…?" He responded in an _it-is-a-guy-right?_ tone

Yamato and Mimi sighed holding their hands over their hearts that suddenly decreased its speed. They continued to walk on their path to the school followed by a confused Taichi close behind.

* * *

"And then it went **KABLOOM! **It was so cool." Taichi jumped as the three walked into the part of the school where the second year homerooms were. "Ne, ne, Mi-chan! Next time, you should go with Yamato to my place! Then we can watch the movie together…" He added the last sentence with a hint of his bashfulness.

Taichi? Showing a bit of bashfulness? That was enough to make Mimi's heart flutter a bit. '_He wants me to be alone with him? **At his place?**_'

"…oh! With Yamato of course!" Taichi added last minute trying to hide any misunderstandings.

'_Dammit._' Mimi cursed as she shot a glare at her roommate. Yamato felt the heavy stare and made a double take. He slightly cringed looking at the brunette. "What did I do?"

Mimi's staring contest ended abruptly as soon as she heard some first-year students giggle at her, Yamato and Taichi. Her senses were longer in defense mood. Instead, she turned her head with her eyes following the girls.

One giggled, "That's them, isn't it?"

"Un! Un!" The other laughed back, "It's second-year Tachikawa Mimi, third-year Yagami Taichi, and third-year Ishida Yamato! They look so good next to each other."

"Don't they?" The girl replied with another giggle. "No wonder Mimi is dating one of them! But to be honest, I would like to see her with Yagami-senpai!"

"No way! I think she looks better with Ishida-senpai!"

"Well, either way, _I_ think that Tachikawa-senpai is extremely lucky!"

Mimi raised her brow to her…_admirers_. She couldn't believe how fast the news about her—what's the word—_relationship_… with Yamato and Taichi spread. In mean, it's been what two-three days?

'_Oh geez,_' Mimi mentally slapped herself. '_I can't imagine the situation if I were in an all-girls school_. (3)'

Suddenly, something snapped in Mimi's head.

_Well, either way, I think that Tachikawa-senpai is extremely lucky!_

What the hell does that mean? Lucky? Lucky to be friends with a cool guy like Taichi _and_ to live with an asshole like Yamato? **How could she possibly be lucky? **What's wrong with the world?

Either way… does that mean Taichi shows some potential interest in becoming her significant other? The very thought of it made Mimi feel like melting into a puddle of goop.

"Is something wrong, Mi-chan?" Taichi's voice rang suddenly in her ear. Mimi turned to the source of the sound. She found Taichi's face only a couple of centimeters from hers. Her cheeks felt hot. In response, she jumped slightly away from him with a little yelp.

"You dazed out on us." Yamato replied on the opposite side of Mimi like Taichi. His hand cupped his chin to analyze the brunette. Mimi once again jumped out of his sudden closeness. "Daijoubu?"

"Ha-hai!"

"You don't look okay." Taichi commented.

"I-I-I—"

"Do you need to go to the nurse?" Yamato added.

In sure panic, Mimi used her eyes to search for something—anything—to distract her.

"**Miyako!**" Mimi exclaimed running from the two boys. The purple-haired girl turned upon hearing her name.

"Mi—?" Mimi was about to question when Mimi grabbed her arm and went inside the classroom, thus cutting her statement in half.

Yamato and Taichi stared for a minute, wondering what had just happened. They simply turned to each other. Their eyes met. For what seemed to be an upcoming violent gesture, they merely shrugged.

* * *

"He really has a **_what_**?" Miyako's voice shrilled.

The students within the hallway looked at the trio with odd looks. Mimi tried to silence her friend by making a hushing sound on with one hand as the other covered her friend's hand. Attention wasn't what she needed now. Koushiro gestured towards the others that it wasn't something too serious.

"What ever happened to the promise of being quiet?" Koushiro asked sarcastically as his arms crossed facing the hysterical girl.

"De-demo!" Miyako tried to reason, so far, it wasn't working. She turned to the right to look at Mimi then the left to Koushiro. Her head moved left and right till she felt the urge to pull her hair apart. "How can he have a fiance?"

"I've told you before that it was a possibility that he had a girlfriend." Mimi sighed as she gently hit her forehead. "I wonder if you really listen to me."

"Well, you did say it was slightly arranged, correct?" Koushiro analyzed.

Mimi nodded. She then looked down with a bit of sadness. "Even though," her voice traveled into a decreasing volume, "he didn't seem too upset about it. In fact, based on the way were arguing, he was looking forward to their rendezvous."

For a moment after what Mimi had said, Miyako and Koushiro looked at each other for a brief moment before turning their attention towards Mimi again.

"Ha!" Mimi laughed jokingly, "What am I getting all angst-y about? I don't have any feelings towards Ishida! Except for utter disgust!"

"Ano… tell me Mi-chan," Miyako croaked to what seemed like nervousness. "What does this fiance look like?

"Oh, she's a red head actually," Mimi sighed as her hand ran through her head. "It's somewhat shoulder length. And she's about this tall, I think." Mimi ended with her completed gestures. "Why so?"

"_Mi-chan?_"

Mimi felt a slight tap on her shoulder. The fingers that had briskly touched her felt tenderly soft…unlike other bitches that have been treating her lately. She turned to see the _red head_ about yay-tall.

"Sora-chan?" Mimi replied almost dumbfounded. "Wha-what are you doi—?"

"Oh! I'm so glad to see you!" Sora smiled folding her hands onto Mimi's as she leaned forward to catch more of Mimi's gaze. "I thought I'd never see a familiar face."

"Wha-what are you doing here?" Mimi asked again with a small smile, trying not to seem rude.

"I told you, didn't I?" Sora questioned. "I was going to transfer here! Ironic, ne?"

"Oh," Mimi couldn't help but laugh with a twitch in her eye. "Talk about irony."

Sora laughed seeing Mimi's face. Sora noticed two students staring at her. She moved her gaze to Koushiro and Miyako who shared unforgettable shocked faces. Sora took this as a strange form of a welcoming greeting. "Konichiwa. I'm class 3-A's new transfer student, Takenouchi Sora." She quickly bowed afterward.

Unfortunately, Koushiro was the only one to be welcomed back into reality, "Ah! Konichiwa, sempai!" Koushiro bowed in the same matter.

Miyako stood gawking Sora.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Sora just smiled to avoid looking at Miyako's stare. "Ne, ne, we'll have to meet after school!" With the end of that sentence, she grabbed Mimi's hands within her own. Mimi was so dumbfounded that she couldn't find the words to say. Before Mimi could even respond, Sora answered for her, "Good! Meet me at my homeroom! Ja!" She quickly released Mimi's hands and ran towards the direction to class 3-A.

Mimi turned to her friends with a confused look on her face. The sound of the end of break came on cue. The trio still stared at each other as other students exchanged their goodbyes.

"Ano… Mi-chan? Was that Ishida-kun's fiance?" Miyako asked with the same look she gave Sora plastered on her face. Mimi nodded. "Holy crap! She is _so_ much prettier than you! I could see why Ishida-kun could have chosen her!" Miyako squealed. "And she probably one of the smartest girls ever to enroll here! And not to mention the most athletic—!"

Koushiro felt a drop of liquid descend down from his forehead to his temple. "You're not making the situation any better, Miyako."

* * *

The lunch bell had rung. The students became busy with their daily activities that took place during the lunch hour. The halls were filled with laughter … and breadcrumbs. Surely, lunch was a time where most of the students enjoyed to pretty much do anything, especially gossip.

"_Ne, ne, did you hear about that new transfer student? She's quite the looker, isn't she?_"

"_Dude! She is! And I can't believe she's still single too—!_"

"Takenouchi-san must be one of those new favorites, don't 'cha think so, Mimi?" Koushiro chuckled a bit overhearing some of the conversations between their male classmates. The trio walked down the hall leaving the small kiosk selling some lunches.

"It seems…" Mimi replied with her voice slightly trailing off as taking a drink of her carton of milk through it's straw. Her mind was obviously focused on something else.

Miyako giggled after seeing that dazed look in Mimi's face. "And… I hear that our Izumi-san is gonna join an elite team of strippers (4)."

"Un…" Mimi nodded as they made their way into the hall where it led to the cafeteria. Koushiro and Miyako stared blankly at their unconscious friend while making occasional glances between themselves. The two stopped walking along side Mimi as she entered the cafeteria. Mimi continued to walk absentmindedly further into the room.

"I was sure that would've got her attention." Miyako whispered to Koushiro while he gave a reassuring nod as a reply.

"_You should start to watch where you are going, Mi-chin. Maybe then you'll actually understand why you look so retarded all the time._"

The familiar voice that belonged to a natural blond broke the two's private conversation. It seemed like the usual: Yamato makes fun of Mimi, Mimi gets offended, and then the two of them quarrel as the remaining three, namely Koushiro, Miyako, and Taichi, just stand in the sidelines waiting for one of them to be crowned as the leader, which is usually neither of them.

Taichi sighed, "Is this argument really necessary? I mean, it was an accident, ne, Mimi?" Taichi said her name so cutely. She nodded politely. Mimi couldn't help but be in his mercy.

"Ass wipe…" Yamato mumbled as he crossed his arms.

"Yamato, I don't think that's very nice of you to say about your friend." Sora pouted walking up to the group. "He was nice enough to end your dispute with Mi-chan."

"Finally, someone that sees things through _my_ eyes!" Taichi laughed.

"Sora-chan, this is Yagami Taichi. He's a classmate of Yamato's." Mimi properly introduced the two. Behind Mimi, Taichi saluted the girl followed by a "yo!" Sora waved hello in return.

"Ne! Why don't we all eat lunch together?" Taichi exclaimed almost like he wanted to have his idea said before anyone else would suggest it.

Mimi was more than willing to agree. Yet, the glare she had seen from Yamato made her think otherwise, "Oh, I don't think that's a good idea, Taichi." Mimi's reaction start to become a bit depressed.

"Eh? Doushite?" He asked with worry.

"Etto…" Mimi's face tried to find an outlet. "My best friends!" She exclaimed grabbing Miyako and Koushiro on both of her arms. "They're really important to me. I can't just exclude them." She smiled. "Gomen ne."

"Well, then, let's go," Yamato sighed as he made his way towards the door to go to their usual lunch spot.

"Why not they join us?" Taichi chimed.

"Eh?" Yamato said in unison with Mimi.

"Un! I'm sure Yamato wouldn't mind."

"Chotto Matte!" Yamato raged.

Mimi waved her hands side to side, signaling a no. "It's okay. And if we were to accept, I don't think it's fair that Sora-chan can't—"

"She can come too!" Taichi shrugged seeing no harm in it.

"Are you purposely making our lunch period a party?" Yamato sulked.

"I wouldn't mind!" Miyako squealed.

Koushiro sighed, "Now's not a good time to be yourself, Miyako."

Sora stared wide open, "There's no need to include me."

"You're Yamato's friend, ne?" Taichi smiled. Sora nodded. "Then there's no need to be left behind." Sora stared at the chocolate-haired boy who smiled cheekily.

After a brief silence, "Yoshi! Yoshi, yoshi, yoshi! (5) Let's go!" Taichi cheered pushing the four towards the direction Yamato had started to go.

"Ha…hai…"

* * *

"Sugoi!" Miyako exclaimed walked towards her homeroom after the final bell had rung. "How knew I'd eat at the same area as the great Ishida and the totally cool Yagami!"

"She makes a big deal out of this, doesn't she?" Koushiro sweatdropped looking at his sane friend.

"Gee, what was your first clue?" Mimi asked sarcastically.

"Mi-chan!" Miyako called snapping Mimi from her sarcastic mode, "Do you have meals with Yamato all the time, don't you?"

Mimi raised a curious brow, "Un, usually. But sometimes, Yagami-san joins us."

Miyako whined, "You're so lucky!" She twirled around to make a shoujo-like atmosphere of admiration, "I wish I was in your predicament. To be living in the same roof as—"

"You've known her for a longer time than I have, right?" Koushiro whispered walking past the ranting girl with Mimi by his side, "It's amazing that you are still able to stand."

"She's one of my best friends," Mimi sighed, knowing that it wasn't enough of an answer, "I learn to manage…"

"O-oi!" Miyako's cheeks puffed.

"…and she just realized that we weren't paying attention." Mimi smiled turning back to the pruple-haired girl.

"Mi-chan! You said that Takenouchi-san was the fiance of Ishida-kun, ne?"

"I'm not too sure if they are still engaged to each other but yeah. Is something wrong?"

"Remember what happened during lunch?"

"_Konichiwa, Ojyou-san." A man greeted as he and a friend approached the lunch area where the group had decided to eat. All who attended suddenly looked at the new comer. "I hear you are the new transfer student from the south?"_

_Sora quickly looked away, "Not entirely." At this point, it was obvious that she wasn't comfortable with them hanging by her. Still, the bastards kept poking on her._

_The other, located on the side, joined in the event, "Care to join us for lunch, ne? Ojyou-san?"_

"_Etto… I—"_

"Oi_," said a voice that belonged to Yamato as he stood next to Sora and these two hooligans. "I believe my friend said _no_."_

"_Oi! What gives you—?"_

"_Chotto, are you even aware of who you are talking to? That's Class 3-C, Ishida Yamato!"_

"_Ishi-Ishida!" He gasped in realization, "Gomen nasai, Ishida-senpai! We didn't know that—"_

"_Just go," Yamato sighed, "I wanna finish my lunch before the period ends."_

"_Hai!" The two knock-offs left in a hurry. Yamato sat back on his seat and continued to pick pieces off his lunch._

_Sora shyly made a glance toward Yamato, "Arigatou."_

"_There's no need to thank me," Yamato scolded with some food in his mouth, "Those two annoyed me since day one."_

_Sora nodded slightly before getting up. "I'll be right back. I just need to get something from inside." She smiled before everyone waved her a temporary goodbye. Sora could help but smile as she walked inside the building. After all that, he was still the gentleman he was back then._

_Mimi watched her new companion walk away, along with Koushiro and Miyako. '_She really does seem to be happier when Yamato is around._' _

"Waaii! Kakui! Ishida-sama is the best!_" Sora turned to hear some female students say as she passed by. She paused on her journey to hear their comments. They students seemed to be infatuated with him. With all the hand folding, sighing, and tiny hearts thumping over their heads, she was convinced that they were part of his fan club._

"_I know! Did you see him take on Kazawa and Yasou?"_

"_They're so lucky to be friends with him." One girl said out of admiration to see Mimi and company to be with him and Taichi during their lunch._

_Sora smiled. She was one of them. Before she could turn and continue her journey, something else caught her interest. "I wished I was Tachikawa-san! She gets to always be with such a cool guy like him!"_

_Sora turned, "Eh?"_

"Oh crap…" Mimi mentally smacked herself in the head.

"Do you think she found out about you and Yamato?" Koushiro asked in concern.

"Maybe…" Mimi shrugged.

"_You're Tacihkawa-san, right?_" The trio turned to see an older student in their school. She looked somewhat depressed and concern had taken over her facial features. Mimi nodded momentarily before continuing, "I just think that's its fair to tell you… about Takenouchi-san."

* * *

Mimi's rampaging footsteps echoed throughout the halls. She stopped occasionally to look through the classrooms hoping that Sora's red head would appear. Still, there was no luck. '_Kuso…_' She mentally cursed as her school shoes started to feel oh-so pinchy, '_Why does this only happen to me?_'

"_What do you mean by 'it's fair'?" Koushiro questioned._

"_Well, you see, I'm Takenouchi-san's classmate. And she overheard us taking about Ishida-san. That's not the bad thing! She seemed somewhat amused knowing that we were talking about him. Demo… apparently, she wasn't all too amused about the topic of you, Tachikawa-san."_

Mimi pulled the classroom door. The sliding sound was the only thing came. No students, no Sora. Mimi silently, repeatedly cursed under her breath. She closed the door and resumed on her search by going down the hallway of the senior wing.

"_It wasn't something bad," Miyako smiled giving Mimi reassuring pats on the shoulder. She stopped abruptly seeing the not so happy-atmosphere between the students. "Right?"_

"_I didn't think it was." The elder student replied. "We just mentioned Tachikawa-san… and how lucky she was."_

"_Me? Lucky?" Mimi scoffed knowing that she got stuck in living in an apartment with such an obnoxious guy. "I think you have your pigtails tied on too tight."_

"_But I think Takenouchi-san took it serious." The senpai commented. "She asked us about the relationship between you and Ishida-san…"_

"_What did you tell her?"_

Mimi opened the last door in the floor. Still no Sora. Where could she be? This would be the perfect time for a fairy godmother to pop out of nowhere and give Mimi the push she had wanted. "Where did she say she would be?" Mimi sighed leaning against the door.

"_Good! Meet me in my homeroom! Ja!"_

Mimi slapped herself in the head. "Dumb ass," Mimi called herself. "Why would you look for a third year student in a first-year building anyway?" She exclaimed to no one in particular. She kept insulting herself as she ran towards the direction of the senior wing.

"_The truth!" The senpai exclaimed. "At least, I think it's the truth."_

_Koushiro asked again, "What did you tell her?"_

The sign above the classroom door read **3-A**. This was the first room in the senior wing. Hopefully she would find Sora in here. Otherwise, Mimi would have collapsed right there.

"_Simple," The senpai shrugged._

Mimi pulled the handle of the classroom door. The sliding sound echoed the empty hallway.

"_Tachikawa-san and Ishida-san are seen together frequently,"_

Sora sat on top of a desk near the door with such a depressed look on her face. Mimi didn't know whether to speak or to take sharp inhales of air.

"_Though they don't show it a lot,"_

However, she had done neither. Neither sound nor movement had been done.

"_They must have strong feelings for each other."_

Sora looked at Mimi with a solemn expression. Sora's eyes dimmed down like how a weakening bulb would do after breaking down. The small smile that always occupied her face slowly faded into a small frown. The atmosphere from that expression seemed to spread through out the room that caused Mimi shiver from a little feeling of guilt.

The silence within the room was in no comparison towards a fall day in a cemetery.

"So…" Sora started, making Mimi have a small jolt of surprise. "You… you and Yamato…" She looked like she couldn't say the two in the same sentence. "Are you two together?" She finally blurted out.

Mimi made a long stare towards Sora's eyes. What a predicament. What was she to do? Say yes, and harm a good friendship? Or say no, and blow a misunderstood predicament? One thing Mimi knew was…either way, she'd loose.

"I've been hearing a lot of rumors. Some about that you two are going steady. Others say that you two have had sex in a rented apartment." All these words seemed to hurt Sora. "**Can't you just tell me the truth?**" She screamed almost in the brink of tears. "I thought we were friends. I deserve the truth, right? Who are you to Yamato?"

Mimi inched forward trying to give some type of explanation.

In reply, Sora moved a step back. "You didn't answer my question, Mi-chan." She commented still keeping her stern eyes. She no longer kept those innocent eyes in which she had when they first met. They were now a unique mixture of anger, confusion, and upset. "Mi—"

"We are not going out." Mimi stopped Sora in mid-sentence. "Nor are we having sex or any relationship of that manner. To be honest, he's my roommate, _forced_ to be exact. You see, we ended up renting out the same apartment. We both have no where to go. And… neither of us could afford such a place by ourselves. So in the end, we decided to live together. The rumor about us 'going out' is false. We made it up to explain as to why are usually seen together."

Sora looked rather confused. Her mind tried to follow the story Mimi had – somewhat – introduced to her. Yamato and Mimi rented the same apartment. Instead of finding an alternative, and not to mention immediate, lifestyle, they decided to live together until a different opportunity comes up? **What the hell?**

"I know it's confusing, strange…" Mimi paused to find the words.

"Unheard of…?" Sora continued.

"Yeah, that's good." Mimi commented. "Geez, you really _are _smart."

"Listen, Mi-chan." Sora rubbed her arm. "I know that you might have an attachment to Yamato—"

'_What attachment?_' Mimi questioned inwardly.

"—but he is important to me. He seems to be very fond of you based on the stories I've heard of—"

'_Lady, what have you been hearing?_'

"—so please don't hurt his feelings." Sora smiled sweetly. Mimi stared at Sora. What kind of stories has she been hearing? The only thing that these two have done in public (not that it was any different at home) was argue. Where has she been hearing stories that requires her to "not hurt his feelings"? Sora jumped from the desk and walked casually towards the door.

Woah, wait a minute. That's it? No arguing? No catfight? No bitch-slapping (6)? Does this girl like to make ironic twists of events or what?

"You mean, you aren't mad?" Mimi followed the red head out into the hallway.

Sora replied with a nod.

"You mean, you aren't upset either?"

Sora nodded again.

"You mean—"

Sora looked down to her feet. "Actually, I'm not as interested in Yamato anymore."

"Oh, you're not interested—what?" Mimi paused slightly to make sure she heard right. She ran to her new-found companion. "I'm sorry; I don't think I've heard you correctly. You are not interested in Yamato?"

Sora shook in her head in reply. Mimi smiled with an escape of air that seemed to be trapped within her throat. "Oh, wow. Ano… I don't know what to say. I thought you were going to be really, really angry with me because of my predicament with him."

"Actually, Mi-chan, I still have some feelings towards him. Especially because we've known each other for a long time," Sora said almost bashfully. Mimi nodded in reply to show that she comprehended.

'_Whew! I thought we would be at war. Chotto matte… war? **War?** For Yamato?_' Mimi shook the idea out of her mind.

"However," Sora's continuation captured Mimi's interest. "There is someone else that I am fond of."

"Ne, ne… could this be a crush?" Mimi giggled.

Sora brought her gaze up to Mimi, "I think so. He's really... nice. An-and considerate! But he seems really popular though, especially with the pretty girls. I don't think I could stand out enough to catch his attention."

"Nonsense!" Mimi laughed pushing the timid girl out of the classroom. "You have a pretty face on that pretty head of yours! You're just pretty." He emphasized the use of _pretty._

"You…you think so, Mi-chan?" Sora's face lit up unintentionally fixing her hair.

"Mmmhmm!" Mimi smiled as she nodded her head.

"Okay then! Arigatou, Mi-chan!" Sora smiled. "Thank you for the advice! Now I can have the courage and somehow confess my feelings to Yagami-san!"

Mimi nodded until the name sunk in her head. "Ya-Yagami-san? You don't mean…?"

"Hai! I will one day confess my feelings to Yagami Taichi!" Sora exclaimed stretching out her arms. "Arigatou, Mi-chan!" She smiled as she gave the brunette a big hug. Frozen in her arms, Mimi watched the girl's face light up before running off. Probably to the locker room…

"Ah.. ah… you're welcome…?" Mimi could help but sound confused. Her hand made a robotic wave goodbye. Her head suddenly lowered as did her body. '_Why does this only happen to me?_'

* * *

(1) _The little area where you put your shoes._  
(2) _Sadly enough, I've gone through that a majority of my life. (laughs)_  
(3) _Being in one myself, (sighs out of disappointment) the news—gossip really—spreads like a virus. If you wanted a secret to be known, tell someone in the beginning of homeroom, and **everyone** will know by the end of 4th period._  
(4) _Its funny how most people refer to strippers. (laughs)_  
(5) _Think of it as a sign of relief ; almost like to be happy that something happened._  
(6) _Though I highly doubt it, if there are any guys reading this fic and expected some to girls fighting over a guy with physical contact, I'm sorry to say that it'll never happen in this chapter. And there is a reason as to why she's so easy going about this. Continue reading._

_Ohh, the irony. I bet you were expecting for Sora to declare a war for Yamato's heart. (laughs) I got 'cha there. Who knew she had an interest Taichi? This isn't a rhetorical question. I **really **want to know who saw this coming. And don't be an ass and say you did when in reality you didn't. That's just not cool. _

_Also, I think the next chapter should be an interlude. I don't know. What do you think?_

_So that's the latest installment of **Living with Him**. **For those who want a small teaser, please read BIO before reviewing. For those interested in becoming this story's beta, please read BIO also.**_

_Thank you!_


	6. Interlude: Maybe She Will Someday

Interlude: Maybe She Will Someday

* * *

"Ah! Senpai! Senpai!" A first year student exclaimed as she raced down the hallway with her hand waving in the air.

13-year (1) old Izumi Koushiro turned in response to the student. He smiled a bit. Was this extremely cute first year calling to him? She had short, leveled, rich hair with porcelain skin. Her expressions were adorable as well as her features. Anyone in the whole school would find her crush worthy.

"Senpai!" She called once more.

Koushiro's temperature started to rise. He just had cut his hair recently. Maybe the new look was getting appreciated after all. Who knew extremely short, red hair was attractive?

The girl was close now. Koushiro opened his mouth to respond. Nothing came out. He choked. Good thing he didn't say anything though. The girl ran just past him.

Koushiro turned to see the object of this girl's attention. It was one of the male students of the class next door. He was very bishounen compared to Koushiro. He was slightly built. His hair had dyed blond highlights. He had a nice smile, and sparkling brown eyes. And he had the appearance that screamed _I'm-an-all-around-cool-guy_.

Koushiro seemed bland compared to him. A tucked-in uniform shirt and the appropriate school vest was what he wore. He was carrying books at the time. Overall, his appearance screamed _classified-dork_.

Koushiro sighed loudly. That's another girl that had gotten away. He continued to walk down the hall with a heavy sigh. No girl would take this one seriously. After all, he didn't seem to be boyfriend material. Koushiro never approached girls in a romantic way. In fact, the idea never really crossed his mind. He wouldn't interact with anyone than close friends. He never hung out with people in the "in" crowd neither. Yet he was dedicated to two things: studying and computers. This just completed the idea of being the school dork that no one felt like dealing with. Well, except for two people; girls actually.

Koushiro opened the sliding door of his homeroom. He shifted his weight to place the books onto the teacher's desk.

"_You took long, you know that?_"

Koushiro turned his gaze towards the girls sitting on desks next to the window. A small smile curled his lips.

"I could have gone to Aqua City (2) to get some trinkets for my cell phone! For some strange reason I lost the ones I got last week!" The one with the purple hair exclaimed.

"Gomen," Koushiro sweatdropped. "I got distracted."

"How could you have gotten distracted?" The one with purple hair continued to exclaim, "It's after school! Practically no one is still here!"

"You don't have to go crazy, Miyako." The other sweatdropped. "We didn't wait too long."

"Easy for you to say, Mimi! Your cell phone accessory isn't lost!" Miyako cried. Koushiro couldn't help but scratch the back of his head and make a loud sigh. When his friends start to argue, it would end in about an hour where they will just make up with a hug. Koushiro moved towards the ledge of the window where he usually sat when their time of argument came.

"Well, you wouldn't be crying for its loss if you haven't waved that cell phone of yours around." Mimi countered. "It probably got knocked off."

"No, it wouldn't!" Miyako exclaimed. "It has that metal band that keeps it from coming off!"

"It was a little trinket, Miyako! It's cheap!" Mimi exclaimed.

Miyako couldn't help but gasp. "I spent ¥200 (3) on that!"

"I really need to get male friends." Koushiro sighed.

"Oh right," Mimi commented, "What distracted you?"

"Yeah, Miyako wants to know!"

Koushiro kept his face to the outside. He sighed, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it." He turned to look at Mimi and Miyako who were already staring intensively at him.

Koushiro loosened his serious expression as soon as he saw the girls to close to his face. "Do you have to be so close?"

"We can't help it if we are curious." Miyako replied.

"Obviously," Koushiro retorted. Mimi and Miyako backed away from Koushiro and resumed the sitting position they were in before Koushiro came into the room. "Hey, guys," Koushiro started receiving glances from the two girls, "Am I the type to have a girlfriend?"

Mimi and Miyako stared at each other before giving their friend a reply. The awkward silence made Koushiro a little agitated. Unknowingly, they were hinting him the answer he did not want to hear. "Well?"

"You know, Miyako, I think I'd want to go to Aqua City now!" Mimi said with a pondering voice. Miyako nodded as a reply.

"Ha-hai! Hai!" She cheered looping her arms with Mimi.

"Demo—"

"Let's go!" They squealed as they tried to dash outside the door. Yet, Koushiro closed his eyes shut. He reached out his hands and grabbed the collars of the girl's shirts. "Nya! Let go! Let go! Let go! Let Go!" They squealed in unison once more with their super-deformed selves (4).

"Not unless you answer my question." Koushiro responded calmly. He raised his head to see their awaiting responses. Instead of giving in easily, the girls cried louder and made more annoying squeals. Koushiro sighed releasing his grip on them. "Girls…"

* * *

"Yatta!" Miyako smiled opening the door of her homeroom. Her gaze averted to Mimi and Koushiro that were casually talking near Mimi's assigned seat. "Ne, ne, Mi-chan, Izumi-kun! Look! Look!" She removed her cell phone from her pocket to reveal the trinket dangling. "Jan!" She smiled showing off with a slight singing tone.

"Ah, Miyako," Koushiro pointed out.

Miyako followed the direction of Koushiro's index finger. Her eyes lay upon a part of her trinket. The chain lacked her little plastic character. Miyako's eyes gaped at the sight. "**Eeh?**" She screamed. "Where-where-where…?" At this point in time, she seemed speechless.

"It did look sort of cheap, Miyako." Mimi sweatdropped. "Maybe it fell off."

"Iyada (5)!" Miyako pouted. "I paid good money for it!"

"Then you got ripped off." Koushiro said plainly. "There's no way in hell I would pay good money for such a thing."

"You're so mean, Izumi-kun!" Miyako pouted.

_**Ding-dong-ding-dooong**_

_**Dong-ding-dong-diiing**_

"Homeroom is going to begin." The homeroom teacher began as she entered the room. "All those who are not assigned to this room and decide to stay here will receive a punishment from the principal."

"Ja, Mi-chan, Izumi-kun!" Miyako waved.

In reply the two waved back as Miyako disappeared.

"You know, she was right." Mimi sighed taking her seat next to Koushiro.

"That she paid good money for it?"

"About being mean!" Mimi sighed as her hands extended out so that her hands fell over the end of her desk. She laid her head on one of her arms so that she could see Koushiro's face. "Honestly, if you intend to get a girlfriend, you can't be so… uptight."

"I'm not uptight." Koushiro sighed. He eyed his notebook that fell onto the floor. He bent down to pick up the bundled book and brushed the book off of any dirt. He then vertically aligned the book so that it could satisfy his somewhat "obsessive compulsive" nerves. He took a glance at Mimi who just raised a brow at him. "Okay, so I'm a bit uptight, big whoop."

"You asked us if you were the boyfriend type. And with that attitude, you'll end up six feet under without a kid, or wife for that matter."

"So what could you, the all high and mighty Mimi, shall do to help this poor, untalented human?" He said mockingly as his hands helped expressed his words.

Mimi smiled a bit. It was obvious that a revelation had just occurred. "You know what; just meet Miyako and me at Aqua City."

"What? Why—?"

"Just do it!" Mimi whispered before sitting back up from her posture and got ready for class.

"I'm not done talking to you!" Koushiro exclaimed looking at his female companion. He noticed an odd silence proceeding. His teacher and classmates stared quietly at Koushiro, hoping for some type of explanation. "…about something that is not important."

"Oh, good then, Izumi-kun." The teacher sighed resuming towards the lesson as some students giggled seeing his embarrassing behavior while others shook their heads in disappointment.

* * *

Koushiro walked into Aqua City's food court. Looking for the familiar faces he'd been curious about since they had told him to come.

"_**Oi! Koushiro! Here!**_"

Koushiro knew that voice anywhere. He turned to his right to see Mimi calling as Miyako waved for him. He approached with some type of caution. He knew if they were at Aqua City, it was because they (a) wanted to shop and Koushiro had become their pack mule for the day or (b) there is a plan afoot…and not a pleasant one. Either way, Koushiro didn't like it. After all, surprises were things he was never fond of, especially from _them_.

"Okay," Koushiro sighed. "Let's get down to business. I know there must be a **real **reason as to why you guys had wanted to come here."

"Okay, you see those girls in the corner?" Mimi asked. Koushiro looked at the direction where Miyako had pointed. It was a table of three girls. They seemed to be from their rivaling Middle School.

"Yeah," Koushiro shrugged, "What about them?"

"You're gonna hook up with one of them." Miyako cheered.

"So, you… them… what?" Koushiro asked, for the first time in his life, confusedly.

Miyako and Mimi giggled. "_We're_ going to find a girlfriend for you." One said.

"**Nani?**" Koushiro asked almost falling out of his chair. "You decided to what?

"Find—a—girlfriend—for—you—duh." They said slower this time, with Miyako adding the last statement.

"You don't have to do that. I-I mean I am comfortable with girls." Koushiro narrowed his eyes at the girls. "I mean, I've been with you guys for how long?"

"Well, then have you ever gone out with a girl?" Mimi asked.

Before Koushiro would respond, Miyako added, "—that's not even related to you?"

Before he could continue, Mimi added, "—that's not Mi-chan or I?"

And before he could even respond to that question, "—by yourselves as in an _actual_ date?"

Koushiro sighed, "Iie…"

"So project: Koushiro-gets-a-girl is a go!" Miyako cheered.

"SUTAATOOO! (6)!" Mimi cheered as Koushiro patted his head in defeat.

Koushiro sighed. "I **really **need to get male friends."

* * *

Koushiro looked at some random discs in the music store while timidly looking at the girl next to him. She had caught him staring at her several times now. She smiled a bit. At this point, he couldn't tell whether she was smiling because of his odd girl-talking skills or the album that was on her hands. Sure enough, Koushiro was about to get his answer.

"Is there a reason why you kept looking at me?" The girl next to him asked while not looking at his slightly blushing state.

Koushiro tried to withstand looking at her. She was too cute he had to admit. Her features were very delicate and womanly. Though it seemed like she had matured, she had a sense of child-like, bubbly-ness to her. Her dirty brown hair in pigtails, and innocent eyes proved him right.

"A-ah… daijoubu desu…" Koushiro stammered a bit. As a result, a soft giggle escaped from her lips.

"_What the hell is going on? Is Big Red going mayday?_" Miyako asked. "_What's your opinion, Nee-san? Over._"

"Miyako, is it really necessary for us to use code names?" Mimi asked with narrowed eyes.

"Of course it is! We have to speak in code because we don't want others to hear our tactics."

"We're next to each other." Mimi said plainly while glaring at Miyako. The two had been standing about three aisles away from Koushiro, observing him.

"Who are those two?" The girl whom Koushiro had become quite found of at the moment asked. "They have been staring at us for quite some time now."

"Oh, those two?" Koushiro asked turning, referring to the brunette and the…purple girl. "They are my frie…You know, I don't even know who they are." Koushiro changed his mind seeing the two scamper. They probably only now realized that they had been found out.

"Friends?" She asked with a smile.

Koushiro was starting to warm up to that smile of her. "To tell you the truth, they are… unfortunately."

She giggled once more. "You're so cute. Why would they be following you in this sort of matter?"

"To you want the truth?"

"That'd be nice." She added with a broader smile.

"Well," Koushiro started off, "They sort of suggested that I should find someone who would fall for _devilish looks and charisma_." He said the words with a sarcastic tone. "And I saw you while passing this store, so I thought '_What a lovely candidate_.'"

"That was some pick up line." She felt someone uncomfortable, but impressed, that's for sure. "You're adorable. You really are. A true romantic maybe… however…"

"_What are they saying now?_" Mimi asked in curiosity with their heads ducked down low.

"I don't know!" Miyako exclaimed in aggression. "They were staring at us the last time."

"Gee, I wonder what tipped _them_ off." Mimi commented while resting a cheek against her palm.

"Hold on, let me see what's going on." Miyako grunted trying to look over again to see the potential couple. "Ho-ly Crap!" Miyako gasped.

"Nani?" Mimi asked following Miyako after her outburst.

"Who knew that the latest single Hitoribocchi no Seesaw from Teenage Wolves (7) was coming out? I need to add it to my MD (8)!" Miyako gasped.

"Oh, dear God. I love the Teenage Wolves myself, but you're missing… the point…" Mimi sighed turning her sights back on Koushiro and the girl. "Chotto, where are the two lovebirds?"

"_What lovebird are you referring to?_" The two girls jumped looking at the nerve twitching Koushiro standing behind them with his hands on his hips. And he was not lookin' too happy either.

"Izumi! What a surprise!" Miyako laughed scratching the back of her neck.

"And what are you two doing here?"His brows cocked.

"Here?" Mimi asked looking at Miyako wide-eyed, hoping that she would provide a simple explanation.

"We…we…we…"

"I believe you had said _we_ three times," Koushiro added waiting for this explanation.

"We…wanted the latest single from Teenage Wolves!" Miyako cheered knowing that it was slightly true.

"Oh, I see." Koushiro smirked a bit. "So you wanted the single _so bad_ that you came a week early for it?"

"Eh?" Miyako turned towards the direction of the poster. She was probably too captivated to see the date all the way in the bottom.

Koushiro clapped out of mockery. "You guys are true fanatics."

"O-okay, so you got us." Mimi got up look at Koushiro as if she was trying to intimidate him. "We were here to see how you were doing with today's tryout."

"And we saw you were doing well with that girl." Miyako smiled. "By the way, where did she go?"

"You mean, Hiyono-san (9)? She left already."

"So…? How'd it go with her?"

"Well, okay at first. She told me that she was into the intellectual type."

"Honto ni (10)?" Mimi and Miyako said in unison with a small hint of excitement. "So are we going to see sparks fly?" Mimi asked with Koushiro shaking his head as a result. "Ehh? Nande?"

"She already has a significant other." Koushiro laughed. "But we're going to remain friends, for now."

The two wailed in disappointment leaving the music store. Between their complaints and outrageous gestures, Koushiro was still able to laugh and smile as though nothing was wrong.

* * *

After a long week, Mimi and Miyako found their search fruitless. They must have introduced half of the female population in Odaiba to their male companion. Of course, the man had to be so picky about the women he meets. There were potential sparks all over! So why, in God's name, would he refuse every single one of them?

"Mou, for someone who wants to be a ladies man, you sure are picky about the ladies accepting you as their man." Miyako commented waving the tension in the air with the back and forth motion of her hand.

"Well excuse me for voicing my taste in women." Koushiro scoffed as his eyes narrowed looking at Miyako.

In response, Miyako glared at him and continued to look outside the window. "So you have taste, Izumi-kun." She couldn't help but chuckle a bit. "Do you care to share?"

"Jeez, do you have to know?" Koushiro glared out the window adding a hint of annoyance. He could hear the muscles on Miyako's face move to a position where her mouth made a crescent facing upward. "Nani?"

"You already have someone you like, don't you?" Her smile became broader.

Koushiro felt his back grow stiff. He twitched in an animated way and made a small sound with his teeth clasped together. "Wha-wha…what makes you say that?"

"Well… for starters, you are sort of—what's the word—_jumpy_ around the subject." Miyako smirked. She loved to see her friend acting the way he is now: a nervous wreck.

"Ba-baka!" Koushiro yelled.

Miyako giggled in a playful girlish way. "Ne, ne, Izumi-kun! If you don't want to tell me her name, describe her to me. Knowing how shy you can be around others, maybe I can be a little match maker." She ended her sentence with a little smirk of mischief.

"I refuse to take part in your stupid antics." Koushiro snorted turning towards the window again.

"Com'on, Izumi-kun!"

"No, I refuse to give you her name."

"So it _is_ a girl." Miyako laughed as she took a small notebook from her bag and scribbled notes onto the parchment. "For a second there, I thought we were talking about a guy."

Koushiro groaned loudly as he's fingers gently rubbed his scalp. He suddenly stopped and pouted. "You're never gonna make me talk."

"So she's a talker herself." Miyako scribbled.

"**Why are you twisting my words?**" Koushiro growled.

"Because," Miyako smiled trying to make the red head calm down, "you are using this thing called reverse psychology. Anything you dish out on me could possibly mean the opposite of what you are trying to tell me..." Miyako seemed to ramble on and on at this point. Koushiro's eyebrow curved seeing the girl yap like her lips were on fire.

'_If I tell her something so fictional, she'll be in an endless search. That'll put the matter at rest._' Koushiro reasoned. At this point in time, it was the only thing that could make her shut up.

"You're right, Miyako." Koushiro sighed and as he predicted Miyako stopped talking. In a second, she prepared herself with a pen and a small notepad. It sort of made Koushiro a bit scared to see Miyako take the situation seriously. Okay, scratch out "a bit" and change it to "defiantly".

"Let's see." Koushiro turned his direction towards the window. "Etto…" He paused. What kind of description should he give her? If it's too general, then Miyako would hunt down everyone girl fitting that description. And if he was too specific, then Miyako might stalk this girl without any type of remorse and ask pointless questions relating to their nonexistent relationship. Wow, lying doesn't get any simpler.

"Well…?" Miyako seemed impatient at this point. And seeing her tapping foot and shaking mechanical pencil, gave that clear impression.

For a genius, you are helpless when it comes to lying. "Well…" Miyako scribbled fiercely, "She's a girl." Miyako eyes peered to Koushiro as her brow rose.

"She's a girl…?" Miyako repeated. She soon after sighed and continued to write.

Well… here it goes. "She's average looking."

"Extremely beautiful." Miyako replied as she continued to jot things down.

"Short hair…"

"—long hair."

Koushiro turned to Miyako and narrowed his eyebrows. "Short."

"—Tall."

"She can dance."

"—She can sing."

"She is anti-social."

"—Ex-trmely… friendly."

"Okay," Koushiro needed an end their little charade. "Is there a reason as to why you are saying the exact opposite of what I am saying? You're not taking actuate notes."

"Baaa-ka." Miyako hit him on the head playfully with her pen. "Have you ever heard of reverse psychology?"

"Not in the way _you're _doing it? (11)"

"Well, _buddy,_ like or not, this is the type of girl you are describing to me."

"That is the type of girl…I like?" Koushiro questioned while scratching his scalp. He silently laughed before he returned to the window and allow the warm breeze confront him. "That's stupid. That would make me sound like I like…"

He paused. Was it possible?

"Like who…"

Right in cue, Mimi walked into the courtyard with her spring jacket on and her school bag. She must have heard someone call her name because she turned slowly as the locks on her head swayed with her movement. It was like a stupid slow motion scene. Her hair flew with the motion, sparkles seemed to shimmer—

Wait a minute. Sparkles? What was he thinking?

"Moshi mosh…?"

Koushiro shook his head. He continued to peer out the window to see another student confront Mimi. She must be a classmates of Mimi's. Mimi giggled. Mimi smiled. Mimi seemed ideal.

'_Well…now that I think about it…she is kind of pretty._' Koushiro sighed. What? Koushiro shook his head again; this time, he was close to smacking it against the window pane. '_She's a friend, a best friend as a matter of fact. There's no way…_'

Koushiro took a look at Mimi and the student down there. He sighed as his head sank.

"Dammit," Koushiro groaned, "I still see the sparkles."

"So she's extremely…" Miyako scribbled, "dirty…"

Koushiro turned to his friend and blunted said, "You can leave now."

* * *

It was hard to believe that weeks had passed and yet Koushiro's illness of I'm-falling-for-my-best-friend-idis was not getting any better.

Three days after his discovery, he got jealous of any man that was talking to her, commenting her, or even within 2 meters of her.

One week after his discovery, he felt bashful about talking to Mimi alone when Miyako was taking the extra gym class.

Twenty days after his discovery, he was all of a sudden avoiding the chance to even converse with her.

Truly, he had fallen for her. He needed to get this out of his chest. Days before, he went into a book store and looked at the shoujo mangas they had. However, he had to go into the section with some type of disguise. Namely, he wore a large pair of sunglasses. Although he had a hard time reading it, he noticed that most students used to place secret love notes on their crush's shoe locker. After school, they request to meet somewhere in private.

Ironically, he took the advice of a shoujo manga.

He noticed Mimi stomped her way towards his desk with her hands on her hips. It could only mean two things: she was mad at him or something bad happened to her hair. Either way, it wasn't a good thing. It gave him an even greater reason to hide under his notebook.

"Koushiro…" She said through gritted teeth.

Koushiro peered up from his book and made a fake smile, "Ah, Mimi…" It didn't make the situation any better.

"I know what you've been up to." She said even without a thought.

Koushiro chocked, "You-you do?"

"Yeah," She added with a bit of an attitude. "I mean it explains it all. It really does. Someone got this note on her shoe locker this morning. And I have an idea as to who it is from." Mimi ended with a singing tone while waving the little envelope in the air.

Koushiro sighed. Though his best friends seemed like ditz half the time, they were actually very smart cookies. "So you know…"

"Of course I do." Mimi smiled. "It's from—"

Gulp.

"—a secret admirer, ne?" Mimi laughed.

Koushiro's face fell. Okay, maybe not that smart.

"And I think you might know who," Mimi commented with a small smile on her face as she sat on Koushiro's desk.

"Oh…" Koushiro sounded a bit confused.

"That's not the only good news, I finally found someone I like that's in the other class."

Pang. There's the arrow that cracked Koushiro's heart in half.

Mimi looked at Koushiro's pale face and black expression. Getting a little concerned about her friend, Mimi waved her hand in front of her best friend's face to bring him back to reality. "Koushiro…? Kou-shii-ro?"

Koushiro shook his head back to reality. "Mimi…if you already have someone you like, then what about the confession letter?"

"Confession letter? This? Actually, it's not mine."

Koushiro made a double take, "It's not. Chotto, it's not?"

Mimi shook her head. "It's Miyako."

"Miyako?" Koushiro's heart jumped. How could this happen? Laying out all the possibilities, he must have switched letters. Mimi was meant to have the confession letter whereas Miyako was supposed to have the letter telling her that he finally found someone.

"Koushiro," Mimi smiled. "I'm glad you finally found someone you like. Oh," Mimi leaned closer to Koushiro's face. As she advanced to him, his cheeks increased in his deepening shade of red. "I know you sent the love letter to Miyako."

"You do…?"

"Only you have penmanship this neat." Mimi laughed. Koushiro pretended to follow what she said. He even nodded his head in the end to make it seem convincing. "Listen, I think you and Miyako should spend an afternoon with Hana-kun and I."

"Hana-kun? You mean class 3-B's Hana Yukiji?"

Mimi nodded.

Of course, only Koushiro would know what this guy is like. He's obnoxious. He's a jerk. And of course, he's beautiful. The fact that he's only made up of _those _traits and more made Koushiro's blood boil. Its strange only girls would fall for the stupidest and jerkiest man in the world. He was also a total flirt. If he had someone in his arms, he wouldn't hesitate to turn his head and look at another girl's ass.

Damn.

"I can't believe he's going out with you," Koushiro groaned.

"Pardon?"

Koushiro noticed his inner thoughts were announced. He looked to the side, then to another. He laughed a bit. "I meant…I…can't wait to go with you…guys." Koushiro laughed it off as if he made some silly slight error.

Miyako rushed into the room. Her shoes made a skidding noise catching the attention of all around her. "Break…didn't end…yet…did it?" She asked in between breaths. The entire class shook their heads. Miyako looked happy to see the result. She closed her eyes to show satisfaction. Before she could exit the room, a tall figure bumped into her. Damn, it had to be a teacher.

"Inoue-san? What are you doing in this homeroom? And sweaty?" The female teacher asked looking at Miyako's appearance.

"Ah…ah…" Miyako looked to find a reason or even some type of distraction to make her escape. Then it came into mind. Bingo. "Look a Godzilla!" She pointed.

Though the teacher did not follow the direction of her finger, Miyako ran out the door as fast as she could.

Koushiro and Mimi shook their heads. Some things will never change. Mimi turned back to Koushiro's gaze and laughed a bit. "I guess break is ending. I'll meet you outside the gate after school. The four of us will go to Aqua City again!"

Mimi waved before disappearing into the door like his other friend. Koushiro released a huge sigh of disappointment. For a genius, he made a lot of mistakes that could have been easily avoided.

* * *

'_I can't believe I'm doing this…_' Koushiro moaned inwardly as he walked down the halls with Miyako next to him and Mimi entangled with Yukiji. Since they had left school, they've been…clingy. Shudder.

This is sick. Really sick.

"Tachikawa-san," Koushiro heard him say. "I got a text from my older sister. I have to go home to take care of my nieces and my nephews."

Once Koushiro heard that crap, he had the sudden urge to throw up. Yukiji never had a sister, so nonexistent sister equals no nieces and nephews which also equal utter bullshit.

"I'll call you later, 'kay?" Yukiji smiled. Mimi nodded. He planted a soft kiss on her cheek before he released his grip on the girl before moving towards the exit.

Miyako elbowed her friend while Koushiro frowned. With a sly grin on her lips she, she raised her brows up and down and said with gritted teeth, "Mimi, you are getting awfully close to Hana-senpai!"

"Stop trying to be funny, Miyako." Mimi turned away while puffing her cheeks.

"I can't help it if you're getting lovey dovey with one another." Miyako smirked. "Ne, Izumi-kun?"

As much as he wanted to object, Koushiro stayed quieted. The girls were in a playful matter. Even if he said that Hana Yukiji was a friggin jerk and a complete asshole, they still would not have listened. They probably thought he was playing along.

A cell phone rang. It had to have been Miyako's. Only hers would have such a loud and giddy tone. She opened the metallic piece. The little trinkets that hung from it clashed one another and made little tinkling sounds and a light show.

"Oh, poo." Miyako groaned while puffing her cheeks. "My mom is short handed at the store. She needs me to come over right away." Miyako pouted. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Miyako turned before she headed towards the exit. Before she left, she turned to Koushiro and waved, "I'll call you tomorrow, Kou-chan!"

Mimi giggled as Koushiro felt that all too familiar sweat drop fall from his hair to his bottom chin. "She's really into the attention, isn't she?"

"I hope she knows that the letter was not meant for her." Koushiro said subconsciously. Mimi nodded. What? Koushiro looked at Mimi with wide eyes and a confused expression.

"I kind of knew since you didn't want to escort her to work."

"Do you think it's a bad thing? To deceive her?" Koushiro asked leading Mimi to sit next to him on the edge of the fountain.

"I think she knows it too." Mimi said placing her index finger cheek to indicate her thought. "To be honest, I don't think she minds. The words you used made it sound like you were joking around."

Koushiro felt another pang. In reality, he thought hard about what to say. Maybe he's not cut out of following the shoujo manga way. Bringing himself back to reality, there was a familiar bishounen that caught his eye. "Hana-senpai?"

Mimi turned towards Koushiro's direction. Mimi's eyes followed the direction. In a store, stood Yukiji, looking through a rack of trinkets. And after a mere second or so, another girl came in. That girl was lucky that neither Koushiro nor Mimi knew who the hell she was.

Otherwise, there would be blood bath in a matter of minutes.

"Ah, so the rumors were right." Mimi sighed looking at the jerk's smiling face. "He actually isn't mature to keep steady. And you knew, didn't you, Koushiro?"

"It was best if you found out yourself," Koushiro sighed. He could tell that his friend was about to cry. Her eyes would become itchy and her cheeks would puff up.

And right on cue, the itchy eyes and puffy cheeks came.

"Com'on, Mi-chan." Koushiro insisted as his finger bridged the corner of her eye, allowing the tear to soak up on his finger. "I'm sure you'll find the one. I mean you're only 13. The time will come."

Instead of making the tear disappear, it flooded continuously along with many others. Mimi moved to Koushiro and wrapped her arms around. Shocked by her open action, Koushiro was moved back a bit. His hands were away from her, but she clang tighter. "Arigatou," She muttered through his clothes. Koushiro felt the salty liquid seep through his clothes. Still in a state of shock, Koushiro listened. "Hontou arigatou."

He peered out to see people staring at them and pointing fingers. The whispering got him to blush. Taking the dare, he took one hand on her shoulder while the other stroked her head. "Ah…betsuni (12)."

"You really are a true friend."

The words pained him. Why was something so wonderful so hurtful at the same time? Maybe this was one of the weird quarks about love. You want what's best, but you want the best to happen to you. At this point, Mimi considers him as a friend. It was better than a stalker or a jerk. At the moment, this was the best he could do.

Mimi released herself from Koushiro. He slowly raised his hand to remove some the tears that formed. From the mood, he was bound to say something back to her. She was teary. He was there in her arms. The fountain behind them made the area around them sparkle. All he need was the glowing bubbles like in the mangas he read—ahem, I mean browsed—then he was set to go. Koushiro had wanted to say something romantic like, "I will never make you cry." Or "Maybe what you are looking for is right in front of you."

He panicked. So instead, _this_ came out, "Let's get that Teenage Wolves CD you were talking about."

Expecting a stupid response, Koushiro mentally slapped himself for saying something so out of place.

Mimi giggled. "I could always count on you, Koushiro." And that's when it came: that smile. Goddamn that smile. It was the smile that said _you-are-the-best-friend-ever_.

In reality, he wanted those _you-are-the-best-boyfriend-ever _smiles. Although Koushiro has not read enough mangas, he knew that it'll never change, but there was no point in giving up. People's minds changes. Maybe she will someday.

Koushiro stood up extending his hand to her. "Com'on, let's go look at that CD." Mimi nodded before taking his hand.

Walking towards the store, Koushiro walked a little faster still contemplating with his thoughts. Paying little attention, Koushiro didn't see the incident that occurred.

Mimi felt her shoulder knock into a person's shoulder, walking the opposite way. Due to the force, she turned to apologize, but the one she bumped into apologized first. She eyed his uniform. He was obviously not from her school. He looked at her with a started expression. His blond hair and her brunette hair moved slightly due to the change of air. The combination of blue and brown eyes stared without realizing that time had continued after the apology.

When Koushiro noticed that Mimi had not followed her, he turned to see her still standing, "Mi-chan…?"

"_Yamato!_" The boy's brunette companion called to signal the boy to follow.

The boy apologized again before following his friend. Mimi responded to Koushiro, "un," before she turned to follow Koushiro.

Maybe she will someday. Maybe… but for now…

"Com'on, Koushiro!" Mimi yelled grabbing her red headed friend by the arm, "before we have to go home!" With his arm on her tight grasp, she ran to the CD store.

"_Who was that, Yamato?" The boy's friend asked with his hand holding his bag over his shoulder._

_The boy named Yamato shrugged._

Maybe…just maybe.

* * *

(1) _This was years before the beginning of the story. Well…not that long._  
(2) _It's a big mall in Odaiba. It's a place to see and to be seen. At least, that's what I heard…_  
(3) _Rounded to two dollars in US currency. And for a trinket, that's pretty expensive. Usually, I'd buy mine for only 25 or 50 cents. That's only because I'm a smart shopper. (laughs)_  
(4) _Also known as chibi._  
(5) _No Way!_  
(6) _Engrish Romanji of them saying the world 'start'. (shrugs) I think it's cool…_  
(7) _This is an actual song from the band other than Tobira. And you know who got me into that song? __**Ms. Pan!**__ When I found that song, I just had to download it and listen to it. Now, it's one of my favorites. (smiles)_  
(8) _MD stands for Mini-Disc. It's like a cassette tape only it's a disc within the plastic container, not tape. It's really big in Japan and not very successful here (in America). Although, I am proud to say that I own one and it's a damn lot better than an Ipod. But that's just my opinion…_  
(9) _Based Hiyono from the actual Hiyono from the series Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna. (1 adore this series by the way)_  
(10) _'Really?' Or 'Seriously?'_  
(11) _(stretching my arms) Well… I took Introduction to Psychology for a semester (and did not do so hot on it). Anyway, reverse psychology is basically when you **convince **someone to do or think the opposite. But what makes Miyako's method wrong is that she is interpreting the opposite of what Koushiro says instead of making him think or do the opposite._  
(12) _It's nothing._

_Sorry for the looonnggg delay. I hope this chapter is good enough for a peace offering. This is probably one of the few chapters that are not taken on Mimi's Point of View. A different turn for my usual writing, but I'm willing to take that shot because I'm crazy and all that. (laughs)_

_Okay, here's the deal. There will be more interludes in this fic. Big smiles. Okay, there will be three interludes including this one. What they will be based on we will never know. It's for me to know and for you to find out. __**To those who want previews, AND I MEAN REALLY GOOD PREVIEWS, please read bio for details. **_


	7. Warming Up

Chapter 7: Warming Up

* * *

The familiar, annoying ring rang throughout the bedroom. Mimi groggily peeped through her covers as her fingers extended forward to mute the sound. Her hands glazed through the familiar items atop the bedside table. When the sound stopped, Mimi stayed under the comforter, embracing its warmth. She moaned as her senses came to her. She knew she had to look at the time. She flipped the top of her comforter and eyed her shooting star themed alarm clock. She watched the small shooting star end of the seconds hand tick clockwise. When her eyes zoomed out to observe the whole face of the clock, she gasped.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mimi groaned as she forced her body up. She grabbed the uniform that hung on her wall. She slipped off her pajamas and replaced it with her uniform. As she buttoned down her blouse, she began walking around her room in order to search for her schoolbag.

"Where are you? Where are you?" Mimi muttered to herself, sighing as she looked under her study table. She smiled when the familiar backpack appeared. She grabbed the bag and swung it over her shoulders, releasing a deep sigh as she looked at herself in the mirror. She combed out her hair, trying to fix it to the best of her ability. However, because of the rush, she just tied it up in a simple ponytail allowing some strands to escape from the band. She noted something missing that seemed very key to her uniform.

"My socks!" She turned to her dresser as she pulled out her socks. She opened the door of her room and hopped out on one foot, as her hands were preoccupied trying to pull a sock onto one of her legs, while the other was held by her teeth.

She looked up to see Yamato sitting on a chair in the small dining room sipping from his mug as he flipped a page of the book he was reading.

"Toast!" She exclaimed through her teeth causing Yamato to look up at his roommate. He noted her struggles as she pushed the latch of the toaster down with her elbow while pulling the other sock up. She quickly rummaged through the fridge pulling out a small plastic bottle of apple juice, then went onto pull the green foil off of it so she gulp down the beverage. When the slice of bread leapt from the toaster, Mimi grabbed a hold of it, silently cursing at the heat erupting from the toast.

"Ittekimasu!" Mimi yelled, as she dashed past him, juggling the toast, to slip out of her house slippers and into her sneakers. She raced through the door.

Yamato watched the scene unfold, obviously highly amused. He shook his head and continued reading. Nearly a minute later, the door opened and closed with a click. Mimi apparently had re-entered the apartment. She took her time at the genkan near the door, kicking off the sneakers and slipping into her house slippers. She was no longer in a hurry. She did not complain about the slight burns on her finger tips since the slice of bread had cooled down. More importantly, she walked into the dining room area, dragging her feet with a pissed off look on her face. She blew some of the stray strands off of her face as she patiently waited for Yamato to return her intense gaze.

Yamato, finally catching the hint, curtly faced the brunette. Only then Mimi noticed the oh-so-familiar blue plaid pajama bottoms and white undershirt. Before he could say anything, Mimi scoffed, "You knew we had no school today, didn't you?"

"Who has school on a Sunday?" Yamato replied, chuckling to himself as he went back to his book.

Mimi groaned as she tossed her school bag onto a nearby couch. She slumped down on a chair next to the dining room table. She released an exaggerated sigh as she raised her hand to finish the last vestiges of the toast she was still holding. As she chewed quietly, a question popped to the forefront of her mind. And naturally, she just had to ask.

"So why didn't you tell me that today is Sunday when you knew I was getting all worked up? "

Yamato exhaled noisily as he placed a bookmark in between the spread of the book. He closed it gingerly as he carried both the book and his mug to the kitchen sink. "Shouldn't that be a simple answer?" He was smirking as he did a quick rinse of his mug before leaving it out to dry. "Seeing you suffer so early in the morning makes me happy."

"You have a twisted sense of humor." Mimi glared as he moved toward the living room. He sat on the couch, opened the book, and then continued reading.

Mimi eyed Yamato as he read. It had been days since the last "incident". Sora had come over frequently to visit Yamato and to hang out with Mimi for some casual girl time. Surprisingly enough, she was very down to earth despite the upbringing she had received. She's the daughter of a distinguished professor and a home-based florist that specializes in Ikebana. She explained how, as the only child of the Takenouchi household, she is expected to continue the family business. What couldn't be contained was her dislike of the idea. She had always wanted to branch out to do something else, anything other than the Ikebana business. When she had told her mother of her plans however, Takenouchi Toshiko did not take to the idea at all.

Mimi recalled that Sora had said she would cry for days because of her mother's refusal to understand her feelings. Notably, there was only one person that did: Yamato. He would comfort her and bring her hope that one day Sora's mother would allow her daughter to live the way that she wants to.

Bashfully, Sora confessed to Mimi that this was how her acceptance of the marriage arrangement started. Yamato was the type of person that she'd want to marry. He was kind, considerate, and had the ability to support her. Plus, it didn't hurt that he was good looking. He seemed perfect.

Mimi couldn't help but tilt her head to the side slightly while still looking at her roommate in an attempt to try and understand the possibility of _that_ being true. _'Seriously, the only thing going for this guy is his looks,_' Mimi thought derisively as she finished the last piece of her toast. _'Well, okay, he does have his… moments.'_ Mimi made a face to herself as the words "Yamato" and "nice" simply did not belong in the same sentence; the thought of it left a bitter taste in her mouth. _'He can be understanding, thoughtful, and even tolerable at points though.'_ Mimi's eyes widened as she quickly reached for her bottle of apple juice and drank. _'What the heck? Why am I even thinking about this asshole's good traits? He's a jerk to me, and I have nothing to say but good things about him? Is it like… like…? Almost as if I-I… I like—' _Mimi felt herself literally choke at the notion.

"Is there a reason why you're staring at me?" Yamato asked with a raised brow.

Her body reacted instinctively by causing her to spew the apple juice out of her mouth almost like a violent fountain leak from an exploding pipe. Her gaze met Yamato's. Mimi felt all of her blood rush to her cheeks as her body sank back deeper into the chair.

"I just died out of humiliation." She whispered to herself.

Yamato lowered his book and stared at Mimi and her sad expression. He straightened his posture and cleared his throat, "So what are you planning to do today since there's no school?"

A fake laugh tinkled out of Mimi's mouth as she reached over for a nearby napkin. Wiping at her blouse, she began to speak, "I don't know. I was thinking of hanging out with Miyako, but I'm pretty sure that she's working at the family store, Ai-Mart."

"I see." Yamato picked up the book and began reading again. "Well, I don't think I have work today." He moved his eyes over in attempt to gauge her reaction.

Mimi's gaze met his, and as a result, he shifted his own back to the book. Mimi couldn't control the smirk twitching at her lips. "What are you proposing, Yamato?"

"I don't know." Yamato shrugged and then flipped a page, "Maybe we can go grocery shopping again." Mimi took a moment to remember their first time grocery shopping. Of course she had to embarrass herself like that by not bringing her wallet along to pay for the items she had wanted.

"It's sort of fun with you." He coughed out the last couple of words with his eyes still glued to the book.

Shock took over Mimi. Was that a blush on his cheeks?

As if on cue, a knock resounded from the door. Yamato's gaze snapped back to Mimi as his eyebrows arched. "Are you expecting anyone?"

"Oh yeah, I totally expected someone to show up while I was in school," Mimi replied, rolling her eyes.

Yamato fixed his bookmark and closed the book. He placed it back on the table and got up. "Maybe it's your homeroom teacher looking for you because you're missing while he's taking attendance." He laughed at the girl before making his way towards the door.

"Ha-ha, you're so very funny," Mimi sarcastically commented as he passed her. Mimi stood up too as she observed her uniform blouse. It still had on it some of the residue from the juice that she had spat out not too long ago. She groaned, _'Why did I even have to think about that?' _She glanced at the seat Yamato had previously occupied. Mimi groaned in disappointment. _'I have to have this washed now.'_ She then made her way down the corridor that led to her room.

"Ohayo gozaimasu!"

Mimi's attention turned to focus on the exuberant brunette that had jumped into the room. Mimi's small frown turned upside down. "Ohayo, Taichi!"

Taichi motioned for Mimi to join him and Yamato in the living room. Mimi carefully watched Yamato as he followed Taichi into the room. Yamato lazily scratched the back of his neck then softly massaged the junction of his neck and shoulder, dragging his feet to a lounge chair. When she saw no objection to her presence on his expression, she quietly perched herself next to Taichi.

"Alright, first off I have **really **exciting news." Taichi bounced on the spot as he prepared to share the news. He glanced momentarily at Mimi, but then caught a look at the strange blots on her blouse. Frowning slightly he asked, "What happened?"

Before Mimi could respond, Yamato tersely spoke, "Don't ask. Now why are you here so early in the morning?"

"Oh, right!" Taichi jumped right back into the subject. "You know that there's a Wada Kouji concert that's supposed to be happening in one of the lounges that my cousin is an event manager of. You know Zepp Tokyo?"

"I can honestly say that I never knew your cousin was an event manager, until now," Yamato snorted.

"Okay, well," Taichi rolled his eyes before getting back on topic, "I just heard from him that the opening act for the concert cancelled last minute. **And **they are looking for a new act to replace them with."

Mimi's face lit up as Yamato gasped in shock, hardly daring to believe it. "Don't tell me…"

"Well, I had to do a lot of convincing, but it worked out in the end!" Taichi smiled triumphantly, "Your best friend in the whole world just gave you and your band a chance to be the opening act for Wada Kouji!"

"I…I can't believe it!" Yamato exclaimed dumbstruck, with a wide smile on his face. His hands moved up to his head as if he was about to pull at his hair. "Did you tell anyone else about it?"

"As my best friend," Taichi replied, shaking his head, "I had to tell you first."

Yamato got up and started pacing around the room. "Oh, man. We-we would need to start rehearsing stuff and inviting family—"

"That's the small catch." Taichi's face wrinkled. "The venue is almost maxed out. I can probably get at the most sixteen passes for you and your band. So you'd have to share them amongst your—"

Yamato immediately ran to his room to get his cell phone, leaving Taichi and Mimi alone in the living room.

"—selves." Taichi paused then chuckled before turning to Mimi, his lips stretching to form sheepish grin. "So, I hope your day is just as eventful as his is turning out to be."

Mimi couldn't help but giggle as she looked down at her twiddling thumbs. She turned her head to meet Taichi's gaze and smiled. "You've made him really happy, you know that, right?"

"Of course I did." Taichi shrugged with a small smug look on his face. "Now, you never got around to telling me just what it is that happened to your blouse."

Mimi stood up as she pointed to the stains. "Oh, I thought today was Monday and I accidently spilled apple juice on it. I have to get changed out of this soon."

Taichi laughed hearing her story, "You're really funny. Hey, listen," Taichi stood looking down at his shoes. "I know that after splitting the sixteen passes, Yamato will only have four for himself. I'm pretty sure he's going to give them to his family and Sora. So how about I give you one of mine?"

Mimi's face lit up. Her fingers intertwined with each other, as she raised them to her chin. "Honto ni? (1)"

"Etto… I just have one thing to ask in exchange." Taichi dared himself to look straight at Mimi. "May I be your escort for the evening?"

Mimi lowered her hands and blinked rapidly in quiet disbelief. "Are… are you asking me out on a date?"

Taichi scratched the back of his neck, "Well, not necessarily _on _a date. I'm asking to_ be _your date."

Mimi giggled. "Hai." She nodded once as she giggled again. "Hai, you can be my escort." She gleefully began to bob her head up-and-down, before Taichi suddenly gave Mimi a hug of approval.

Frozen, Mimi stood wide eyed, shocked by his unexpected action. The warmth of the embrace slowly engulfed her. She felt a woozy feeling deep down in the pit of her stomach. Are they butterflies, maybe? Whatever it was, it was unfamiliar but welcoming. Mimi's eye lids slid closed as her arms came up to return the embrace.

"_He can be your what?" _Mimi and Taichi turned in unison to watch Yamato walk out of his room with his cell phone in hand. "Did I miss something just now?"

Immediately, the two released their hold on the other as quickly as if they'd been burned. Taichi straightened his shirt as Mimi rubbed her left arm with the other hand. The two looked everywhere but at each other, however it was quite obvious that if the two were to glance at each other, blood would come rushing to their faces. What an awkward predicament this was turning out to be…

"What is it? Are you two going on a date or something like that?" Yamato asked laughing.

A small tint of red flushed their cheeks.

"I had better get going. I don't want to hold you guys up all day." Taichi stretched in an exaggerated manner, perhaps to dispel the awkwardness in the room.

Mimi followed his lead. "I'll close the door behind you." Taichi walked out of the room without a word as Mimi followed.

When they got to the genkan, Mimi sighed leaning against the wall. "He can be such a jerk sometimes. I don't understand him. One minute we're getting along. The next, we're about to get into another argument." She looked down at her nails.

"You can't blame him," said Taichi softly as he finished tying his shoe laces. He stood up and faced Mimi who had a confused expression on her face. "If I were him, I think I'd react like that too because of what I'm feeling," he commented with a small smile.

Mimi raised a brow. "What feeling?"

"I'll see you tomorrow at school, Mi-chan." Taichi nodded at her once more before he opened the door. After he walked out, Mimi watched the door handle as it returned to its horizontal position.

She turned around and puzzled to herself, "What is he talking about?"

When Mimi came back into the living room, she noticed that Yamato was now sitting on the love seat, scribbling out what she assumed was the small list of people he'd give the passes too. She marched right up to him, and stood there with her arms to her sides.

When she had his attention completely focused on her, she spoke, "What was _that_ all about?"

"What are you talking about?" Yamato asked scornfully, before standing up to move around the living room.

"Back there, you were really rude." Mimi followed like a little duckling as Yamato snaked around the furniture. "You heard perfectly well what I said and yet you chose to poke at it."

Yamato immediately turned around as Mimi bumped into his chest. "I honestly did not hear what happened," he grunted, picking up his book.

"Well then, if you are _that _curious, Taichi is going to be my date for the concert," Mimi finished as she flipped a section of her hair over her shoulders.

For some odd reason, Mimi noticed a portion of Yamato's brow move slightly. Was that an annoyed twitch? "Oh?" Yamato straightened his posture, "Well, I hope you two enjoy it then. It's going to be a good show."

With that being said, Yamato turned around and walked down the corridor leading to their bedrooms.

"Chotto," Mimi called out, once again following Yamato. "You still didn't answer my question. What was that about? And you had better tell the truth."

Yamato swiftly turned around, causing Mimi slam into him for the second time in those few minutes, "You want honesty? Fine, here's the honest truth: I don't like you flirting in my living room."

"You're being—" And then Yamato's bedroom door slammed on her face, "—unreasonable." Mimi pounded on the door. "Why are you trapping yourself in that room? We're supposed to go grocery shopping together, remember?"

"_I'm going to work today."_

_

* * *

_Days before the concert, it was evident by the look on Mimi's face that things had not gotten any better. And on the day of the concert, things still hadn't smoothed out.

Mimi was staring out the window with a bitter expression etched on her face. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes were narrowed. Most importantly, her lips were puckered. Koushiro knew that when her lips puckered, something was bothering her and it was definitely not clothes related.

"So where is Miyako-san?" Sora asked as she looked around for the purple-haired student.

Koushiro peeked at the empty seat in front of Mimi and sighed. "It's lunch. She probably forgot to pack her own lunch. She's most likely running to Ai-Mart, the convenience store that her family owns to get it and come back."

"Is she even allowed to do that?" Sora asked as she took a sip from her straw.

Koushiro felt a sweat drop descend from his left temple. "She'll be fine. She only does this when she doesn't have any money to buy lunch."

"He makes me so confused," Mimi said breathlessly while still gazing out the window.

Koushiro and Sora eyed the brunette second year student. Clearly, she wasn't paying any attention to their conversation.

"Come again?" Sora asked as she and Koushiro focused their complete attention on her.

At this point, it was like Mimi was ready to pull out her own hair. "He's such a jerk. First, he acts like everything's cool between us, and then, out of nowhere, he's suddenly mad at me! I don't understand him. He just—argh!"

Sora and Koushiro exchanged looks before turning back to face Mimi. "And why do you think he's mad at you?" Koushiro asked whilst finishing the onigiri in his hands.

"It's all these small things, such as when Yamato comes home these days, he gets home a lot later than he normally does. And for some odd reason, he gives me this really mad-upset-ish face and goes straight to his room."

"He might be stressed out about the concert tonight," Sora offered after taking a final sip of her juice. "After all, this is very important to him, isn't it?" she finished with her head cocked to the side.

Mimi looked down at her bento. A sigh escaped her lips. "I guess you're right, Sora-chan."

"I'm guessing you're going to the concert too, Takenouchi-senpai?" Koushiro asked drinking green tea from his small canteen.

Sora gave them a small nod. "Yamato gave me a pass so I may attend. Are you coming as well, Izumi-san?"

Koushiro shook his head. "I don't have a ticket or a pass. I believe it's too late for me."

"Nonsense," said Sora smiling, as she began to put her bento together, "I'm sure Yamato or his band mates would have a pass to spare. You're coming as well, ne, Mi-chan?"

Mimi snapped straight out of her daydream once she heard her nickname being called. She turned to Sora with a dazed look on her face. "What happened?"

Sora giggled before asking, "You're going to the concert, correct? I don't recall Yamato giving you a pass yet."

"Yamato didn't give me a pass," Mimi corrected the senior absentmindedly.

"Who did then?" Sora asked as she leaned forward in interest.

"It was—" Mimi suddenly broke off midsentence as she carefully looked at Sora's expression. At that moment, she had just remembered something vital: Sora had already confessed that she likes Taichi.

She was hit with a swift pang of pain. What was this feeling? Betrayal? Mimi knew perfectly well that her new friend was pining over someone she had already courted. And this is where, yet another awkward predicament begins. Mimi likes Taichi, but Sora likes Taichi as well. Should she set aside their friendship and fight for Taichi? Or do the opposite by allowing their friendship to blossom by letting Sora pursue Taichi?

Thankfully, today wasn't the day to make a decision.

"_Takenouchi-san,"_ a student called from the door. The trio turned their faces toward the exit where a senior, possibly in the same class as Sora, had come in. With her hand still held resting on the door frame of the classroom, she beckoned Sora to come forth, "Sensei wants to see you in his office."

"Hai!" Sora stood up from the seat with her hands still on the table as if she was leaning forward. She placed the bento box back in her tote bag and swung it over her shoulder. She quickly turned to Mimi who still had the same puzzled expression on her face. "I will see you tonight then," Sora called out as she waved and followed her classmate out.

Koushiro fixed his eyes on Mimi as small smile graced his face. "So… what was that about?"

Mimi paused after she swallowed a bite of her sandwich. "You know that Sora-chan likes Taichi, right?"

"I learn something new every day," Koushiro smirked as he took a final sip of his juice.

"Well," Mimi halted speaking while silently fidgeting, "Taichi gave me a pass." Koushiro lowered the bottle. He stared at Mimi who seemed to fidget even more under his gaze. "…and in exchange, he asked if he could be my date for the evening."

Koushiro choked on his juice. He coughed several times before softly hitting his chest with his fist. After calming down, he stared at Mimi who was blushing lightly. "What did Yamato say about this?"

"He…" Mimi paused, looking up at Koushiro who was intently waiting for her reply, "Chotto. Why does his reaction matter?"

"Well, umm…" Koushiro took a moment to collect his thoughts, "Think about it: you and Yamato were roommates all this time. If I were Yamato, I would think that _I _should have given you a pass, and not Taichi. Plus, you met Taichi through Yamato, didn't you?"

Mimi felt sick inside. That harsh word was re-entering her thoughts again. "Are you saying that I sort of '_betrayed'_ Yamato?"

Koushiro kept silent as he crumpled the wrapper of his onigiri. He got up and gathered the trash.

"Not exactly, but it's a feeling that I know all too well."

"What does that mean?" Mimi asked as she wrapped the band around her bento box.

"I'll explain it to you later," Koushiro said, shrugging as he moved towards the trash bin. When he was back at Mimi's side, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his uniform trousers. "We should check up on Miyako. Come on." Koushiro motioned to her with his head as Mimi got up to follow.

* * *

Minutes after the daily classroom chores were done, Miyako's shrill cries of excitement chased after Mimi. They walked to the genkan of the school building where Mimi gave a weak smile to Miyako as she continued to give Mimi a taste of how excited she was.

"Mi-chan! You cannot _fathom _how excited I am for the Wada Kouji concert!" Miyako squealed holding her concert ticket in her hand as Mimi opened the locker door to get her shoes.

"Since when did you use such big words as _fathom_?" Mimi asked, laughing as she dropped her sneakers to the floor and began the shoe exchange.

"Since the concert of the year is tonight!" Miyako grinned, waving her ticket in front of her best friend's face. "I could've gotten you and Izumi-kun tickets as well, but I only had enough money for one." Miyako said sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck.

"It's fine," Mimi sighed as she closed her getabako (2). "Koushiro-kun has his computer club today and probably cram school later. I'm getting a pass from Taichi," Mimi finished with a small smile on her face, walking passed the gaping Miyako.

"Mi-chan!" Miyako called as she followed her friend who was already out in the courtyard. Miyako placed her body in front of Mimi so quickly that her school bag almost swung all the way around the purple haired girl's body. Miyako extended her arms forward so that her hands came into contact with Mimi's shoulders. "When did this happen?"

"When did what happen?"

"The pass from Taichi…!" Miyako released her hands to gesture the gravity of the statement, "When did you get a pass from Taichi?"

"Well," Mimi stuttered as her head bobbed slightly, "I didn't get it _yet, _but I will. He just hasn't given it to me… tangibly."

Miyako's arms and jaw dropped. "Mi-chan," Miyako held Mimi's hands in hers, "how did Yagami-san get this pass? Better yet, why didn't I get one?"

"Taichi's cousin, I believe, has given him some, but most of them were given to Yamato and his band because they're going to be the opening act."

Miyako's jaw dropped again. It slowly turned into a broad smile. "Teenage Wolves are going to be Wada Kouji's opening act?" She jumped up and down as she screeched, "That's so exciting! Does that mean Yamato will get to meet Wada Kouji?"

"Maybe? I'm not too sure," Mimi replied shrugging.

"Oh my! I have to look for Taichi and see if he can give me a pass as well!" Miyako beamed. A small jingle rang through Miyako's blazer pocket. She reached for the metallic object and flipped it open. Her cheeks puffed seeing the name in hiragana. "_Mama…_" She breathed as she pressed the green answer button.

Judging by the expressions that flashed across her face, Miyako was not happy. She finally ended the call with her mother. She faced Mimi with the left side of her mouth raised.

"I guess you're needed at the Ai-Mart?" Mimi asked.

Miyako sighed, "Mama said that I should help out with the store before going." She shrugged, "I'll see you later tonight at the concert, then?"

Mimi waved at her best friend as Miyako went past the school gates. Mimi lowered her hand and groaned. She should feel excited about the concert tonight. More importantly, she was going to be Taichi's "date". So what was wrong?

_If I was Yamato, I would think that __**I**__ should have given you a pass, and not Taichi._

Mimi felt a hand grasp her shoulder. She whirled around to see Yamato facing the gate with Taichi following close behind. With a lack of interesting words to say, Mimi mumbled, "Yamato, Taichi…"

"How's your day, Mi-chan?" Taichi chimed as one hand held his backpack strap on his shoulder while the other cradled a soccer ball under his arm.

"Go-good." Mimi stuttered, managing to conjure up a small smile.

"Ahhumm… here." Taichi extended a piece of laminated paper with a lanyard. "This is the pass."

Mimi took a hold of it with both hands and gazed at it. She raised her head to face Taichi and nodded curtly "Arigato."

Taichi laughed softly with a small smirk on his face while he scratched at the back of his neck. "I have soccer practice today. I could pick you up later."

"Daijoubu desu!" Mimi shook her head and her hands, "It'll be easier if I meet you there."

Taichi paused as his smile turned into a minuscule frown. "Fine, I'll meet you at Zepp Tokyo, okay?"

Mimi nodded. "I will meet you there."

"Un, ja," He waved as he ran out with the soccer slipping out of his grip. Like an expert, Taichi maneuvered his legs to manipulate the ball towards the desired direction. When Taichi left, Yamato made his presence known by taking a hold of Mimi's shoulder once more.

"You make it too obvious that you like him," Yamato commented removing his hand as he looked down at the brunette.

Mimi's cheeks puffed, "So what if I do? There's no one else perusing me. If I play my cards right, he might even ask me to be his girlfriend." Mimi smirked a bit, thinking of just that as she paid close attention to the pass in her hands.

She ignored Yamato's raised brow as he narrowed his eyes at her. She heard Yamato sigh, "Are you going home now?"

Mimi turned to face her blonde roommate. The look he gave Mimi made her stomach flip. She felt a small amount of blood rush to her cheeks as she continued to meet his gaze. She quickly retreated by averting her eyes to some other direction. "Yeah, I need to put an outfit together." It was a typical excuse, but it was something he'd buy. "I'm guessing you have to go to Zepp Tokyo early today, right? For the sound check and stuff…"

"Yeah, I guess," Yamato shrugged, fixing the bag's strap on his shoulder. Just as Mimi was about to take a step forward towards the gates of the school, Yamato called after her, "But we've been having late night practices and sound checks there."

Mimi twisted around to look intently at Yamato. He quickly dodged her stare by turning his head to the left. "I'll go home too. I didn't bring my change of clothes. I don't think my band mates would want me to play in my uniform."

Mimi muffled the laugh threatening to burst through by covering her mouth. When Yamato started to walk beside her, she asked, "I'm guessing you're going to walk with me?"

"Well, we'd have to, wouldn't we?" He shot back with a smirk.

"Yeah, we would." Mimi allowed a puff of air to escape from her nostrils.

"And when I get my stuff ready, you and I can go there together." He tried to hide the tint of pink lightly dusting his face.

Mimi smiled back. "Sure. After all, you don't want to come back looking all tired and saying weird things like you did the last time you were that exhausted." Mimi giggled, trying to cover the laughter that seemed to ooze out of her mouth. They continued to walk past the gates and onto the streets of Odaiba, side by side.

"Oh please, that was only once," Yamato grunted as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He looked down at his feet. If he met her eyes, he might burst into fits of laughter too. "It's called fatigue."

Mimi hmphed as she jerked her head towards a different direction, "It's called you-have-to-lay-off-those-late-night-snacks. You were _heh-veee_."

She was trying to be funny, and Yamato knew it.

Yamato chuckled, turning towards the girl. "Says the girl who slept in my bed," He laughed, "I still feel a bit sore from you pushing me off of it." He placed an index finger on the girl's temple and applied a little force to push her head mockingly.

"I already told you this! You told me to climb into bed," Mimi scoffed trying to push his temple with her own finger. The occupants of apartment 431 paused in their insults momentarily as hearty laughter erupted from their throats.

If anyone were to walk by, seeing the two of them laugh together, one would conclude that there was a warm atmosphere developing. Like a wonderful story of friendship, the two of them, almost like 'frenemies' were finally getting along. Looking past all the strange and notably embarrassing situations that had been placed before them, there was still something special.

How could you describe this? The warm atmosphere between them was refreshing and light. In short, this was much needed…. This scene, this time, this moment… indeed, this was much needed.

'_It's really strange,'_ Mimi thought to herself as laughter continued to gush from her mouth. _'This feeling… it's so strange. It's so nostalgic. This is almost like… we are happy.'_

* * *

(1) _Really?  
_(2) _Shoe locker_

_Hello everyone! Does anyone else miss this fic? If so, __**in your review**__, feel free to yell and throw shuriken at me._

_I hope that there was enough Mimato moments to make up for the 3 year neglection of writing this fic. I initially wanted to add more, but if that was the case, I think I would have written at least 20 pages. So where did all that go? Next chapter, of course! Hopefully, if time and sanity permits, it could be up next month._

_I hope I didn't lose the flow of the fic. I'm trying to gain it all back like a sponge. Critiques are welcome, flames are not._

_I also extend __**huge **__thanks to my beta, Caterina, for putting up with my hiatus. Thanks for your patience! (hugs) She is awesome, everyone! _

_If there are any Mimato fans out there still reading, please review! I miss you all! Let's revive the fandom!_


	8. The PreShow

Chapter 8: The Pre-Show

* * *

"_Mi-chin!_" Mimi rolled her eyes after hearing her nickname for the umpteenth time that day. She could tell that he was getting pissed. She noticed that that "name" only came out when he was teasing her or getting really annoyed, and this time wasn't any different.

She told him that she was getting ready, so why was he being so whiney? Doesn't he know that girls naturally take a long time to get set? Was that a knock on her door just now? Mimi chuckled quietly as she changed out of her black capris. She slipped on a pair of denim shorts, absent-mindedly modeling them in front of her tall mirror, ignoring the bra that supported her breasts.

She spun around and stopped to look at her backside. Her lips formed a small pout as she examined her rear end. "_At times like this, I wish I had a cuter butt,_" she sighed to herself.

A sound suddenly came to her attention. Mimi turned towards the open window leading to the balcony. She heaved a sigh at seeing that her small pencil cup was knocked down. Mimi's feet shuffled to the window as she pushed to its closed position. She looked down at the metal cup and sighed.

_Mental Note to self: pick that up later._

Reaching over to grab her olive-green tank top with a lacey design, she then proceeded to pull it over herself. She examined it in the mirror. It made her breasts seem shapelier since it emphasized her bust line. She completed her look by putting on a long gold necklace and open gray cardigan. She spun around once more to examine her look and smiled. She was definitely in dateable attire. She popped her foot out as she modeled one final time in front of the mirror.

"Kawaii~!" Mimi winked to herself and finished with a giggle.

She finally opened her bedroom door and skipped to the living room where Yamato was playing with his pass. The shirt he was wearing was sloppily hanging off of his torso and his hair was disheveled. Was this pre-show jitters? Or was this the best that the great Ishida could do? Mimi raised a brow as Yamato slowly got up to catch the perplexed look on her face. "You look like a mess," she scoffed.

Yamato looked down at his wrinkled shirt. He shrugged, "It'll be okay."

"I was referring to your hair," Mimi giggled pointing at the sad mop on his head. Yamato gave it a quick shake, hoping that it was enough to appease the brunette. It just so happened to have the opposite effect. Mimi sighed putting her hands on her hips, "would you like me to style it for you?"

Yamato responded by averting his gaze. He got up and placed the pass on the dining room table and went to the bathroom. He returned with a small round container, dropping the weighed object on her open palm and plopped down onto the couch. "We were supposed to leave 10 minutes ago."

Mimi rolled her eyes, "I'm taking that as a yes."

Mimi sighed heavily as she twisted the cap open. She then squirted a considerable amount on her palm and distributed the glop between her ten fingers. She straightened his hair out in silence…

At least until Yamato decided to open his mouth, "So you're meeting Taichi there?"

Mimi, taken aback, stopped momentarily before continuing to mold his hair. "Mmm-hmm," She nodded eventually, "I'll meet him there."

"What are you gonna do?" Yamato paused after he heard Mimi stop breathing for a second. "Actually watch the concert?"

Mimi pulled his hair. She snickered when she heard the blonde to yelp in pain. "That was the plan. Despite what you think of this, we are actually going to have a fun time and support the Teenage Wolves."

Yamato's eyes squinted in another direction. "So I guess you're planning to do something afterwards?"

"Maybe," Mimi smirked finishing the last touches on Yamato's hair. "Don't tell me that you thought tomorrow's Sunday?"

"Sleep in and miss morning classes, just so you can ridicule me? I don't think so," Yamato asked smirking as he remembered what had happened that morning.

Mimi released her hold on his hair, closed the lid of the hair product, and placed it on the dining room table next to the bass guitar case. She moved to where Yamato stood observing himself in the mirror. Mimi swung forward onto the balls of her feet and back onto her heels. "So…" she paused, waiting for his reaction, "how did I do?"

"Good," he replied curtly with an I-can-tolerate-this-look face, which didn't leave much of a good impression in Mimi's book.

"Just good?" Mimi's voice raised as Yamato walked past the brunette toward his bass guitar case. She followed after him and placed her hands on her hips once again, "I think I did an excellent job."

"Don't quit your day job," Yamato scoffed picking up the case. "Oh, wait!" Yamato exclaimed sarcastically as he turned toward the girl, "you don't have one!"

Mimi's eyes narrowed as she placed her matching bag for the evening over her shoulder. "I hope you break a leg."

Yamato laughed after tying his shoe laces as Mimi slipped into her ballet flats. "You're wishing me good luck?"

"Who said I was wishing you luck?" Mimi scoffed passing the blonde to walk right out the door. Yamato smiled to himself as he locked the door behind him with his bass guitar in hand. As the elevator door opened and the occupants of 431 stepped in, Mimi saw the smile on the blonde's face and her own face crinkled into a frown. "Wipe that smile off your face, Ishida."

"I hope you have money this time." Yamato rested the butt of his guitar on his foot. "I don't feel like paying for your Yurikamome ticket," he said laughing, while placing his hands on the head of the instrument.

"Yurikamome?" Mimi questioned as the elevator gradually took them down. "You mean the Rinkai Train."

Yamato shook his head bemusedly, "No, I definitely meant the Yurikamome line." He continued to watch the numbers as they were lowered to the lobby area of the building, "We can get off at the Qinghai Station."

After they exited the elevator, Mimi swiftly turned around making Yamato halt. "_You _can do that," Mimi said sharply, jabbing her finger at his chest. "_I _will take the Rinkai train and get off at the Tokyo Teleport Station. See. You. There." Mimi jabbed her finger again an additional three times.

She whipped her head around to start walking towards the station. All of a sudden, she was yanked to a stop; Yamato's hand had wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back to face him. She turned to see the irritable look flickering in his eyes.

"_Fine," _He breathed, releasing the girl's hand. "We'll take the Rinkai Line. I can't just leave you alone to take public transportation. With your luck, you're going to get lost on your way to Zepp Tokyo." He groaned as Mimi grinned at him proudly. She pumped her fists in a small victory dance, leaving Yamato to watch as he shook his head in shame. Mimi: 1; Yamato: 0.

* * *

Mimi stood holding a banister in the train. She swung side to side following the motion of the car she and Yamato had leapt into. She peered at Yamato who seemed to grow more anxious, every passing second. He was fidgeting around with his bass guitar case and glancing back down at the time on his watch.

"Can you calm down, please?" Mimi asked with a glare, "Looking at you makes _me _feel nervous."

"I'm going to be late for sound check," Yamato muttered groaning as he clenched at the white plastic ring above his head. Mimi's eyes narrowed in at his face. Yamato responded with a small shrug, "What are you looking at?"

"You said you could afford to miss that."

"I never said such a thing," Yamato averted her gaze, "…in those exact words."

"So why even bother waiting for me?" Mimi asked as she placed her free hand on her hip in an attempt to move closer.

Yamato growled moving himself away from her, "Just forget it, okay?"

She released an exaggerated sigh to hint at her frustration. Gripping the pole, she twisted in her spot to look at the nearest window. Odaiba's buildings fluttered past her in a rapid flicker of bright lights and black shapes.

'_Here we are again,_' Mimi's thought, _'back to square one with this… thing._' Mimi's lips puckered as her deliberations soured _'Seriously, why is he being so difficult to read?' _

Yamato's eyes shifted to Mimi's face. He made a curious expression when he saw her kissy face. "What's wrong with your lips?"

Mimi turned to Yamato and batted her lashes, allowing her lips to quickly revert to their natural pose. "What are you talking about?"

Yamato held him back from responding to her question. If he pointed out her noticeable mannerisms, she'd totally deny it. Here comes another worthless argument. He shook his head with an aggravated grunt, "Never mind." He turned his focus to another part of the train. Mimi leaned in, trying to look at Yamato's face causing Yamato to continue to move away from her sight. "I wanted to make sure you got to Zepp Tokyo safely." He finally said with a mixed grunt, at the volume of a whisper.

"I'm sorry?" Mimi asked, leaning further in. Oh, God, it was fun toying with him.

"I'm not repeating it again." Yamato's eyes narrowed while avoiding her stare.

Mimi swung back to lean against the train wall. She couldn't control the small smile that appeared on her lips at Yamato's embarrassment, as his body continued to move back and forth in accordance with the train. _'I guess he has his reasons for his behavior.'_

Yamato began to fidget again. He scrunched his knees together to clamp down his guitar case while his fingers absent-mindedly strummed an imaginary instrument in the air.

"Oi, Ishida," Mimi called out to grab Yamato's attention, "Everything will be okay." Yamato glanced at her before turning to face the other direction again.

The intercom let out a slightly tinny voice signaling that there would be a stop coming up soon. Yamato and Mimi paused to look up at the speaker system. When the speaker was silent once again, Yamato made turned back to Mimi.

"Just four more stops," Mimi muttered, shrugging. "And you thought we were gonna hit traffic."

"Shut up." The occupants of 431 laughed momentarily at Yamato's lame response till they instinctively glanced at the window in unison. Their smiles slipped off their faces as they saw the mass amount passengers waiting at the station.

"Oh no." Mimi whined looking at the large crowd in front of her. She leaned back on the glass as she eyed each commuter. Each wore the hungry eyes of starved animals whose long-awaited meal had finally appeared. She noted that their stares were not friendly ones. She knew that standing in a train was not the worst thing in the world, but standing in a packed train was. "Are they _all_ going to the concert? Zepp Tokyo can't hold so many people, can they?"

"I told you we should've taken the Yurikamome train." Yamato grunted as he felt his eye twitch. They lurched forward as the train come to a stop; a beep rang indicating that the doors were about to open.

Yamato quickly whipped his face towards the direction of the brunette in front of him. "You trust me, don't you?" Yamato asked Mimi whose wide eyes were looking up at him. She stared at him, lost for words until Yamato grunted moving himself in front of her.

"Hold this." He pushed his bass case forward. Mimi quickly grasped the skinny instrument as Yamato placed his hands on the wall directly behind her. Mimi felt blood creep its way to her cheeks, feeling the warmth Yamato's arms seemed to radiate on the left and right sides of her face. "Don't move. I'm trying to make this tolerable as possible," He whispered.

Before Mimi could ask, a flash flood of passengers came through the doors. A sea of unending people rammed forward in waves causing Yamato to increase the pressure on the palms of his hands. Mimi blinked several times as she heard Yamato struggle to keep a reasonable distance between them. However, with the pushing force of many commuters on his back, it seemed like he was losing the fight. Then the worst possible thing happened.

"Yamato, there's an oshiya (1)," Mimi said weakly as she saw the attendant's hat through the infinite crowd of people.

That was when the pushing force became too great. Yamato's could feel his arms giving in until they buckled under the pressure behind him. His body slammed against the bass guitar which pressed heavily onto Mimi's own body. With his forearms and hands on the window, Yamato couldn't help but pull his neck back to view Mimi's completely flushed face.

Mimi felt her face prickle under his stare. She slowly looked up and met his eyes causing him to quickly avert them in some other direction. "I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable," he apologized before pushing his back onto the nearest commuter to create a small distance between them.

"Four stops…" Mimi whispered as she looked down to hide her deeply blushing cheeks. Yamato nodded in a preoccupied manner while Mimi only couldn't help but notice how close she was to Yamato. His strong, arms were bent so very close to her. Every once in a while, his elbows would bump her upper arm as the train swayed. The car curved down the tracks causing the passengers to stumble off the ground; Yamato fell forward, causing his head to lightly rest again Mimi's.

For some odd reason, Mimi couldn't help but to take a whiff of Yamato's scent. She closed her eyes in an attempt to concentrate on deciphering what it was. He didn't have a distinct scent, but her nose strangely favored it. Did that mean it was his natural scent?

Mimi slowly opened her eyes and looked up to meet Yamato's gaze. He was already staring back at her. "I won't ask," He commented lightly before looking away.

Mimi's already red face lowered trying to hide her embarrassment.

"_Oi, ojou-chan…"_ A voice slurred, reaching Mimi's years. Mimi turned to look at a guy near her age, standing on her right. He tilted his head up to give Mimi a gesture of attention, shoving his short black hair off his forehead. "You look pretty cute."

Mimi's head immediately turned to the opposite direction.

"I'm talking to you, Ojou-chan," He called out. "You're going to the concert, right?" Mimi didn't dare respond. His lips formed a pout when she didn't reply. "You're gonna ignore me, Ojou-chan? We should hang out during the concert. Afterwards, I know a good hotel nearby—"

"Don't speak to my girlfriend. Ever." Yamato voice cut through, interrupting his words with knife-life sharpness. He pushed at the passengers around him using his back in order to give Mimi enough room to turn away from the creeper.

"She's not your girl, man," The guy replied with a derisive laugh. Out of some sort of morbid curiosity, Mimi turned to look over her shoulder briefly at his expression, which of course, he took the wrong way. "I knew you couldn't keep your eyes off of me." Mimi's lip curled in disgust as she curtly turned away.

Mimi looked down at the ground, trying to ignore his increasingly loud catcalls. _"God, you've got a sweet ass." _Mimi's eyes narrowed in shock. She felt the aura of his hand reaching over to give her bottom a firm squeeze. She looked down in panic only to see a familiar sweater sleeve snake around her waist. She felt a strong chest on her back, the arm pulling her closer. Mimi looked up to see Yamato giving her a reassuring nod.

Yamato peered over his shoulder, as she focused on clutching the guitar case. "If you want to get to her ass, you'd have to get through mine," Yamato scoffed "And I don't think you'd want to do that. Unless, you know, you're into that stuff."

Mimi didn't want to know what his response was. Yet, due to the sudden decrease in the pervert's volume, she knew it was safe to assume that Yamato had settled the issue. Turning her eyes upwards at Yamato, she mouthed, "Arigatou."

"You owe me one," Yamato mumbled as he held her closer. She avoided his eyes, if her face got any redder, she was sure she was going to faint. "Unless you want someone else touchin' you, do not move."

Mimi nodded in response to his instruction with her head still firmly down. She clutched at the case tighter. '_It's okay, Mimi, it's okay,'_ she told herself, _'Keep it under control. He's just watching out for me because he's my friend and my roommate. Yeah, that has to be it. As the man of the house—well apartment—he has the responsibility to make sure that I'm okay. That's it. That's… it.'_

For the rest of the train ride, the roommates did not exchange a word.

* * *

Mimi stood before a building with neon scripted lights spelling out the words _Zepp Tokyo_. Her eyes trailed down the length of the large dark building that had scattered "ZP"s written all over. Mimi's eyes roved north, only to be stopped in its tracks by the upper portion of Daikanransha Ferris Wheel. It was so grand! The large wheel was decorated with hundreds of colorful capsules. As it spun slowly, Mimi couldn't help but remember stopping by Daikanransha so many years ago with her parents.

They would always take her in the pink gondola because she always said it matched the color of the small purse she would drag around. One day, she had wanted to try to ride in the see-through one. Yet, due to her father's fear of heights, she had never got the chance. He would always make it up to her though with a bribe of an ice cream cone, which her six year old self had always welcomed. Her face lit up with a tiny smile at the mere thought of the memory.

"If you keep looking up like that, you're going to end up with a strained neck," Yamato said with a sigh, stopping next to Mimi.

Mimi focused her smirk on the blonde, "You're just jealous." She turned her attention back to Daikanransha. "I would like to ride in that tonight. It's such a romantic place for couples."

Yamato raised his brow, "Are you planning on asking Taichi to go with you there?"

The smirk plastered across her face broadened, suggesting that she had a scheme at hand. "Maybe…" She replied in a sing-song tone as she sashayed forward.

Yamato rolled his eyes at her familiar antics. "Come on, or else I'll be late." He reached for Mimi's hand and pulled it into his. He kept her palm clenched in a firm grip as he cut through the crowd. Mimi gulped, hard. With his hand wrapped around hers, she could feel tingling warmth ebb slowly up from her fingers to her arm. It was such strange sensation. She hated how bashful she was suddenly feeling, after all she had been pressed up against him for about fifteen minutes in the train, and now, she was acting shy about something as simple as holding his hand.

'_So much for keeping it under control,_' Mimi thought, frowning as Yamato stopped short in front of the fenced barriers of the concert building.

"If I were someone in charge," Mimi heard Yamato mumble to himself, "What would I look like?" In an instant, Yamato saw one of the employees with a familiar chest badge walk by with a clipboard and earphone-microphone set. The black wire traveled around his body and stopped at the huge battery pack nesting at the back pocket of his jeans. "Sumimasen (2)." Yamato hollered.

Through his thin rectangular glasses, he turned to see Yamato sticking his arm out to catch his attention. He approached the roommates looking side to side as if he was avoiding being seen by some higher authority. He leaned the butt of his clipboard on his stomach. "If you're asking if you could go in, you can't. We have to wait till the opening act is finished with their sound check."

"_I am the opening act!_" Yamato exclaimed putting a hand on his chest. Catching the reaction of the ZP employee, Yamato backed down a bit. "Well, _part_ of it at least. I'm the bass player of the band."

"If you're a part of the show, you should've been given a pass," replied the ZP employee, looking down at his watch.

"Oh, I have one," Yamato said with a relieved smile, reaching for his back pocket. When the familiar laminated paper with lanyard was not yet tangible in his hands, Yamato's pupils shrunk. Panicking, he yanked his hand out of that pocket only to plunge it into the one in the front. Alas, no pass there either.

The employee sighed, "You'll have to find it soon. Your sound check is about to begin."

"I-I have it!" Yamato began to stammer as he pushed the guitar case into Mimi's hands. He grasped the soft case as he pulled the Velcro off of the front pocket. "Mimi, did you take my pass?"

"Why would I take yours when I have my own?" Mimi's eyes were giving him the "you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me" stare.

Yamato leaned forward, towering the brunette. "Well, where could it be then?"

Mimi paused in her thoughts for a minute. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the last time Yamato had had it with him. The living room suddenly popped to the forefront of her mind. He had been playing with it, right? What happened after that? He left, and then returned. She fixed his hair, then—

"Oh no," Mimi mumbled quietly as Yamato took a good look at his roommate.

"Oh no, what?" Yamato asked with a raised brow, "What does that mean?"

Mimi shot Yamato an exasperated stare. "I must have left your pass back at the apartment on top of the dining room table." Mimi's brows softened as she recalled the event.

"You did _what_?" Yamato shrieked, his eyes widening.

"I have to get back to work now," the employee said loudly and adjusted his glasses, only to earn a shocked expression from Yamato. "I'd love to help you, but they are very strict because Wada-san is here tonight. My manager is going to be really up—"

"Manager!" Yamato cried out, shooting a look up at the employee and then at Mimi. "Taichi!"

"What does that—?" Before Mimi could finish her statement, Yamato answered the question for her.

"His cousin, that manager! He could help us get in," Yamato exclaimed pulling his cellphone out. He violently scrolled down to find Taichi's name to give him a ring. He placed the phone near his ear and waited patiently for a response. Mimi could immediately tell it was bad when Yamato roared, shoving the phone back into his pocket. "Nothing." He placed his balled-up fist on his hip, "He's not answering."

"I suppose he already put his phone on silent or something like that," Mimi said with a shrug.

"You!" Yamato pointed at Mimi, "You can go in and get Taichi."

Mimi nodded. "For once you're actually making some sense." Mimi dug deep in her purse. She rummaged through all her makeup, felt her cell phone, random scraps of paper and keys. Still, no pass came forth. "I don't think I have mine either."

After a moment of just gaping at her, Yamato groaned as he covered his face with a free hand. "Please don't tell me that you left it in your room on top of a desk next to a pencil cup."

Mimi's stare targeted Yamato. "How did—?"

"That's not important." Yamato growled as his gaze rested upon the employee once again. "Does that mean she can't go in either?"

The employee shrugged, "Rules are rules." He turned and continued walking down the venue leaving Yamato and Mimi panicking about what to do next.

Yamato groaned as he grabbed Mimi's hand again. He pulled her through the crowd, which Mimi found to be a great obstacle since everyone else was facing the opposite direction.

"Where are we going now?" Mimi yelled over the mass of people shoving at her.

"We're going to try a different approach," Yamato hollered back

A warm familiar and totally unwelcome feeling began to engulf Mimi again. The thought of his hand holding her, pulling her with an angry and impatient expression reminded her of the first time she had met Yamato. Possibly, the first time she fe—

'_Whoa!'_ Mimi mentally paused, _'Not now, not ever, will I finish that statement.'_

When Mimi's mind finally cleared, she noticed that she was in the empty sector of the music warehouse. The dark door on the corner of the building was wide open. The stairs were leading up were completely bare. She just had to ask, "Yamato, where are we?"

"The back," He said simply, "If we can't go through the front, we might as well try the back."

Mimi yanked her hand from Yamato's grip. "What makes you think that they'd let us in the back if they wouldn't let in the front?"

"Come on," Yamato extended his hand to her, "We both need to get in there right now. We might as well take control of the situation."

Mimi stared at the hand—the same damn hand—before her. Shit, this hand had made her blush so many times today. What would make this moment any more different? She looked up into Yamato's eyes. Normally, she would be filled with a strange loathing when she stared at those pools of blue. Only now, when there was a small amount of confidence in her, could she feel a swirly, floating feeling in her belly.

'_I can't believe I'm doing this.'_ Mimi closed her eyes as she took his hand. She opened one eye quick enough to see Yamato's smirk as he turned around to pull her up the staircase.

"I'm letting you know that I have never had a felony put down on my records, and I will not tolerate receiving one, especially tonight," Mimi said sharply.

"Daijoubu!" Yamato laughed.

They stopped suddenly as a large man stepped out of the door. He was dressed completely in black and Mimi could immediately tell that his clothes sizes were well beyond extra, extra, extra large. His head was small and bald. Due to his built nature, it was almost impossible to even see his neck through all the chest muscle.

Mimi heard Yamato gulp hard.

"Can I help you?" The guard asked in a low, rumbling voice.

It took Yamato a moment to regain stature. "Ko-konbanwa (3)," Yamato started as he straightened his posture, "_My friend and I_ would like to go inside. She would like to watch _my_ band and I play. _My_ name is Ishida Yamato, part of _Teenage Wolves, the opening act_." Yamato emphasized the right words.

Guard raised a brow, "Hold on." He walked back through the door.

Yamato released a nervous laugh as he turned towards Mimi. "See?" He laughed again as if he needed to release all the apprehension from his system, "We didn't get into trouble. When you're an idol, everyone knows you. They won't outcast you."

Mimi rolled her eyes before the guard came back out with a clipboard and a pair of reading glasses on his nose. He pushed the lenses forward onto the bridge of his nose, "I don't see your name in the list. They have Teenage Wolves as a collective group, not individual names." He cleared his throat, "I'll let you in if you have the pass." He commented shooting a quick glance at Yamato.

Yamato, obviously frozen, stuttered, "Pas-pass?"

Mimi scoffed putting her hand on Yamato's shoulder, "You heard him, Mr. Idol." Mimi shot a quick look at the looming guard "We need to _take control of the situation_, ne?" She mocked.

"If you were performing tonight, you were given a pass." The guard lowered his glasses to take a peek at Yamato, "You do have a pass, correct?"

"That's the problem." Yamato chuckled earning a small look of disbelief from guard, "You see, my _other_friend had given me my pass but I forgot it at home and he is already inside, which is really funny if you think—" Yamato stopped chuckling when he saw the guard's extremely annoyed expression. He cleared his throat, "If you just let us in now, no trouble will go to you if I'm late. I promise." Yamato smiled.

Minutes later, Mimi sat on the top railing parallel to the sidewalk with her back facing the traffic and watched as miscellaneous crew members carried lights and fixtures into the back door. Her vision fixated upon Yamato leaning on the railing facing the zooming cars passing by while rubbing his rear.

"_When you're an idol, __**everyone **__knows you. __**They **__won't outcast you…!"_ Mimi sarcastically imitated Yamato. "As I said, if they wouldn't let us through the front, what makes you think they'd _graciously _let us in through the back?"

"Shut up…" He growled clenching the railing. "How was I supposed to know that he would shove me out for trying to run in?" He continued to rub his behind as his head dropped down. "I knew I should have never listened to you. It's always your fault."

"It's my fault?" Mimi hollered back in sheer incredulity, while looking at the blonde, "How could you forget your pass?"

"How could _you_ have forgotten _yours_?" Yamato retorted with a glare.

And then a thought popped into Mimi's mind, "You still never explained how you knew where my pass was."

Yamato's lips thinned as an obvious blush crept on to his cheeks. He quickly squatted down to sit on the concrete. "That's not important right now. We have to—"

"How is that not important?" Mimi hopped off the railing and took an angry stance. "Why can't you just answer the quest—" Mimi paused when she saw that Yamato's face had grown a few shades darker. Her mouth dropped open, "You didn't!"

"Let's just drop it." Yamato turned away as his cheeks burned with embarrassment.

"What ever happened to privacy, you pervert!" Mimi shrieked as she felt blood rush up her neck to her face. "You have no right to touch my stuff or see—" She suddenly remembered that she was modeling in front of the mirror... without a shirt on. She quickly sat down on the concrete in pure embarrassment. She hugged her knees, buried her face in the nest of her arms, and then let out muffled screams, releasing all the confined anger that had been swelling within.

"Ah shit!" Yamato groaned pulling something from his pocket. He examined the plastic case as it slowly fell apart into pieces. "The guard must've shoved me so hard that I broke my phone." Yamato slammed the useless phone onto the ground. "I can't even call my band mates now." He lightly massaged the back of his neck while releasing an exasperated sigh. "I don't know what to do." When he didn't hear a response from Mimi, he turned his head towards her before facing the orange sky, "You know that you're going to get your shorts dirty?"

"I don't care." Mimi muttered through her arms. "I came because I was really looking forward to this concert. I thought that I would be able to support a friend and be a date for someone I really like. Now, it's too late to go back to get my pass and I'm stuck outside sitting on concrete which probably could be damaging my denim shorts."

The orange tinted skies were now mixed with red and a dark purple. Mimi and Yamato sat in silence as time slowly fluttered past. Neither of the roommates exchanged words nor glances. Mimi stared at the back door with her knees propped up and her hands limply on her sides.

"Gomen ne," Mimi whispered earning a stare from Yamato, "I didn't mean to get so furious. I was just… I don't know."

"Tired? Irritated? PMS-ing?"

Mimi rolled her eyes as she shot a glare at the blonde, "You're bad at trying to lighten the tension." Yamato smiled resting his head on one of the banisters of the fence. Mimi could not help but return his grin. She gazed at her knees before softly speaking again, "Yamato?" Yamato faced Mimi as she returned his gaze, "I'm just curious. Is your family going to come? I mean you can use my phone to call and then they—"

"They're not coming." Yamato interrupted Mimi by throwing a piece of his broken cellphone. It managed to hop three times before skittering on the road; he continued, "I never thought they'd come."

Mimi's widened eyes softened slightly. "Why wouldn't they come? It's to support you."

"It's funny." Yamato chuckled playing with the rubber number pad. "I told them the same thing." He threw that piece down also as he turned to stare up at the sky. "I guess their divorce is more important."

"Divorce?"

Yamato stared at Mimi's shocked expression. He quickly averted his eyes by dropping the part of the broken phone that was on his hand. "Come on," he lightly placed his hand over hers. He pulled her up from the ground. In the midst of her embarrassment, Mimi pulled her hand back and used it to dust herself off before looking up at Yamato. "We can't sit here all night." Yamato grabbed his bass guitar off of the ground.

"So what do you want to do?" Mimi raised a suspicious brow while straightening the cardigan on her shoulders.

Yamato raised the corner of his lips then slowly revealed his teeth. He pointed to one of the most famous landmarks of the large artificial island.

"Daikanransha?" Mimi's eyes bugged out.

"Why not?" Yamato shrugged, "Sitting and waiting here is a waste of time. We might as well take advantage of being in this part of town."

"Yo-your gig—" Mimi stammered as Yamato's hand took hold of her again. "You can't just abandon them—your band mates, your fans!" Mimi exclaimed pulling Yamato back. "Even after Taichi helped you—"

"I'm not abandoning them," Yamato spun around to face Mimi, still grasping her hand.

"Then why are you suggesting going to Daikanransha?" Mimi examined Yamato as he cleared his throat like he was too embarrassed to say the answer, "I told you that it's best when couples go on a romantic date. You should take Sora." Mimi saw that Yamato pulled his hand back to nervously scratch at the back of his neck. He shifted around till his back was facing Mimi. She looked down and fiddled with the corner of her cardigan, "I guess Sora told you about—"

"Yeah, she did," Yamato said abruptly. "I knew it was coming. I mean, Taichi's a great guy." He shrugged.

"Very," Mimi agreed.

"To be honest, I'm relieved that she told me that." Yamato exhaled as he stretched his arms. "Now, I don't have to feel guilty about it anymore."

"Guilty?" Mimi repeated, standing next to the blonde, "Guilty about what?"

Yamato turned to look down at Mimi. He adjusted his center of gravity as he lifted his arm with the bass guitar. He swallowed hard. "Liking someone else," He answered with his voice almost as soft as a whisper.

Out of all the things she needed to repeat for confirmation, she choose to hear that clearly. "You like someone else?" Mimi's reaction brought Yamato to an even more embarrassing state.

Yamato groaned, "Forget it. Just forget it." He waved his hands around as he turned to walk away.

"Aww, com'on!" Mimi wailed grabbing onto Yamato's sleeve. Yamato stopped and rolled his eyes. "We're roommates—teammates! You can trust me with a secret like this!" Mimi said with a wink.

"I'm not going to say anything. It's too embarrassing." Yamato mumbled with his back still to the brunette.

"Yamato, I am taking this seriously," Mimi tugged Yamato back to face her again.

Yamato released a sigh as he turned to see Mimi giving him large puppy eyes. He rolled his eyes as she started to whimper, acting like an overly dramatic critter. "Do you _really_ want to know?" Mimi nodded violently as she folded her hands. She brought her combined hands up near her chin as she started to bat her eyelashes. "Fine," he said, scratching the back of his head. He stared at her again before fixing his posture and clearing his throat.

"Mimi," he started before he released a long sigh, "The person I like is—Hikari?"

Mimi blinked, "Hikari?"

"_Yamato-san!" _

Mimi looked over her shoulder to see a petite brunette run down the stairs towards them. She was dressed in pink V-neck t-shirt and yellow shorts with matching fingerless gloves. She had a brown belt wrapped around loosely around her hips and around her neck hung a Nikon Digital SLR with its strap over her yellow and white vest. Once she was close enough, she flashed the two of them a nice smile and cocked her head to one side with her straight layered hair held back by a pink barrette

"Where have you been? We were all so worried about you." She took a quick snapshot of the blonde rock star. She giggled when Yamato tried to hide his face, but was obviously too late.

Mimi's eyes narrowed. This strange girl was suddenly so chummy with Yamato, which was actually a very strange—impossible even?—feat. Mimi's eyes grew wide when she felt a small pang in her heart. _'What the heck? I can't be jealous, can I?'_ The mere thought scared her.

"No way!" Mimi exclaimed out loud earning stares from Yamato and this Hikari. Mimi released a fake laugh as she waved her hands in the form of a mild apology. "I-I mean, _no way!_" Mimi pretended to cheer by raising her fists up to her head. "I don't think I've met another fan of Ishida Yamato."

"Oh," the girl apologized before bowing profusely, "My name is Yagami Hikari. Yamato's a close friend of my family."

"Yagami? Are you Taichi's imouto (4)?" Mimi pointed.

"Hmmm?" Hikari lowered her camera, "Have we met before?"

"Hikari, this is Tachikawa Mimi." Yamato introduced.

"_Waii!"_ Hikari's eyes lit up. She dropped her camera, allowing it to dangle around her neck. She took hold of the older girl's hands. "You must be _the _Mimi that Oniichan has been talking about!" She examined Mimi's face by taking a closer look. "Oniichan's right. You are cute!"

"_Oh, good job, Hikari!"_ Taichi rushed onto the scene almost like he wanted his sister to stop speaking at that moment. He rested the palm of his hands on his knees as he caught up his breath. "Where have you two been?" Taichi exhaled. "We were all getting worried."

"Mimi and I forgot our passes and my cellphone broke—"

"Now's not the time. You need to get to your sound check!" Hikari exclaimed. She clearly ignored all the gestures Yamato used to try to express that he was fine and that the show would still go on as planned. Hikari pushed Yamato into the building. "Oniichan!" Her head poked out of the door as Taichi stood up fixing his posture, "You need to come in too!" Her cheeks puffed as she disappeared back in.

Taichi released a chuckle under his breath before looking at Mimi. "I bet my sister said some pretty weird stuff."

Mimi smiled back. She looked down at her feet, and then shook her head. "She's cute."

Taichi laughed again. "She's related to me, ne?" Mimi shook her head in a _that-was-a-lame-but-cute-joke _manner_. _Taichi raised his arm closest to his date and bent a little lower. "Are you ready, milady?"

Mimi bashfully hooked her arm with his as he led her inside. The guard that had stopped them earlier brought a palm up stopping the couple from going in any further.

"She needs a pass, Yagami-san." The guard read Taichi's name and access priority on the pass.

"She's with me." Taichi retorted. "If it's a problem, tell my cousin, Fujita-san." Taichi walked past the guard with Mimi still on his arm.

Mimi couldn't help but look over her shoulder as she saw the guard scratch his bald head in confusion. The itchy thought lingered momentarily till someone came through the back door.

Mimi's gaze focused back on Taichi. He was wearing a worried expression, which was sharply different from his usual sunny disposition. She spoke, "Is everything okay?"

"I was concerned about you," Taichi made a sharp turn. "Well, you and Yamato, I mean. When you two didn't come in, we all started looking for you. Why didn't you call me?"

"I-I didn't have your number" Mimi stuttered as she followed Taichi through the maze of corridors.

Taichi stopped abruptly causing Mimi to softly bump into the tanned athlete. "Yamato knows my number. Why couldn't he just tell you it?" Mimi stammered, trying to think up an explanation. If only she knew the answer herself…

Taichi sighed. "Never mind." He placed his hands on her shoulders and lowered himself to look her straight in the eye. "You're okay. That's what matters. As long as I'm here, I'll protect you," He ended his little speech with a smile. Taichi's hand reached for Mimi's hair. He pushed a couple of strands away from her face, and then tucked it behind her ear.

The familiar red flush spread across Mimi's cheeks. "Arigatou," she said under her breath.

What a odd thing to say… when he said, _I'll protect you_, Mimi instantly thought of the Rinkai train and the incident inside it. She never thought that she'd ever think of that arrogant roommate of hers at a _romantic _moment like this. Yet, for some peculiar reason or another, he occupied her thoughts… and surprisingly enough, not in a negative way, but rather in a sweet way—strangely, a sweet and romantic way.

As of tonight, these complicated feelings had became more difficult to understand…

* * *

(1) _Pusher or railway station attendant_  
(2) _Excuse me._  
(3)_ Good evening._  
(4) _Younger sister_

_A chapter chuck-full 'o Mimato is wonderful, ain't it? (smiles) I feel like I spoil you guys too much. Two updates in a year is definitely spoiling you guys. _

_So you may ask, __**Lady of Weirdness, why did you update so fast?**__ Well, children, the answer is simple, I received lovely reviews (and the amount of returning mimato lovers worldwide)! Plenty of lengthy, wonderful, and heartfelt reviews! I do take the amount of your honest reactions to heart. Plus, it boosts my self-esteem about this story. (teary face) Do keep up the wonderful work with sending me reviews! Do your part, and I shall do mine (which is making a speedy update)!_

_And just putting it out there, for those who did send me reviews that __**truly **__touched my heart, I have sent small presents in their review response. If you would like to know what they are, do send me a review. (smiles)_

_Once again, I thank my wonderful beta, Caterina, for her excellent work. She makes my writing appear so much better than the draft I had sent her. Thank you so much! People should shower her with presents as well. (smiles) She's awesome!_

_Till next time…!_


	9. Courage

Chapter 9: Courage

* * *

"Sorry that I don't have any seats for us in the audience. We sold out. That's great news I guess." Taichi chuckled as his hand started scratching the back of his head. "Besides, I have to help my cousin with the stage crew stuff. I'm assuming that was the exchange for the passes and having Yamato's band play."

Mimi nodded in agreement as Taichi adjusted his headset. She eyed his black t-shirt under the matching vest. Taichi fidgeted with the headset again as he adjusted the receiver hanging from the back of his plain jeans.

"I'm sorry again." He apologized as he continued to play with the set hoping it would just settle with his thick hair. "I have to run a small errand. Just wait right here, okay?" He asked putting his palms out gesturing his statement.

Mimi smiled and nodded again. "I understand. Do what you have to do."

Taichi smiled. "Thanks for being so understanding!" He leaned a little forward to bring his lips close to her cheek. Before he could plan his intended-kiss, Taichi paused. He quickly retreated with his face glowing red. He stared at Mimi with wide eyes almost as if he was suddenly cautious of his actions. He turned on his heel and began to briskly walk away from the scene.

When Taichi turned the corner, Mimi raised her hands to cup her cheeks, feeling the heat radiating from it. She felt his breath and its warm tingling vapor still resided on her cheeks. Or maybe that was from her cheeks?

"'_Scuse me." _

Mimi moved out of the way quickly as another stage crew member walked passed her. She felt out of place as the crew of the building hustled and bustled around like bumblebees preparing the arrival of their queen. She eyed members pulling carts of speakers from one side to another while others ran around holding bags of food for the performers and musicians.

Mimi then felt a light tap on one of her ballet flats. She cocked her head to the side as she bent down and picked up the object.

"A microphone?" Mimi questioned. She looked around to see if anyone had dropped it. However seeing that everyone continued to go on their routed ways, it seemed like no one was missing it.

"_Oi." _She turned around to see someone dressed in an outfit similar to Taichi's and had a clipboard on hand. He lowered his gaze and towered over Mimi.

"What are you doing with that microphone? Aren't you putting it on stage?" He asked before looking the poor girl up and down. "And why are you wearing that? You're supposed to be dressed in black!"

"I-I didn't know." Mimi stammered. "And I don't know where the stage is or where I put this." Mimi brought the microphone out in front of her.

"Where did you find that then?"

"It just rolled to me." Mimi shrugged looking at the sound-amplifying object. "I was just waiting for someone to come looking for it. I don't work here."

The man raised one brow as he snatched the microphone from Mimi's hands. He tucked the mic under his arm as he pulled out his clipboard then proceeded to flip through the pages. "If you don't work here, then who are you? You do not seem to have a pass."

"I do not have it with me. I left it at home. My name is—"

"Then you can't stay here." Before Mimi could retort, the man pressed on his ear and stated into the earpiece's microphone, "We need security to escort—"

"_Chotto matte!"_

Mimi turned towards the source of the voice. She was relieved to see the petite photographer come close.

"You are wasting your time by just yelling at her, you know." Hikari smiled with the back of her wrist resting on her hip while the other hand raised her camera up. "I believe your job description was to set up the stage, not maintain security. If you do not want to keep your job and delay the production, I'm sure my cousin, Fujita-san, wouldn't mind letting you go, seeing that you do have a replaceable job."

The grown man glared at the small middle-school girl. He grumbled, "never mind," before walking the way where Mimi assumed was the direction towards the stage.

"Humph," Hikari scoffed as she gently let go of her camera, allowing the expensive equipment dangle from her neck. She crossed her arms still eyeing the old man. "The nerve of some people."

Hikari took noticed of Mimi's gaze and turned to properly faced her. She gave a warm smile and folded her hands behind her back, "Mimi-chan, ne?"

Mimi couldn't help by return the smile and nod. "Hikari, ne?"

The young lady giggled and swiftly brought the camera. In an instance, a flash erupted from the device and Mimi was dazed for a moment. When her vision fixed itself, Mimi eyed the brunette as she smiled at the image that the camera took.

"I've always wanted to meet you, Mimi-chan. Oniichan has said nothing but good things about you." She started. "And you are very photogenic."

Stumbled by her words, Mimi couldn't help but smile. "Thank you. He spoke briefly about you, I'm afraid."

Hikari shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. That's very typical of Oniichan. He often doesn't talk about me to his friends. I know he's protective of me because, you know…" Hikari swayed her head side to side, trying to find the right word through her mind, "I'm the little sister and –" Hikari paused when she caught Mimi's wide stare again. "—why are you just standing here, Mimi? I'd hate for you to just be standing at the same spot for most of the night."

"Your brother took me to stay here and wait for him."

Hikari nodded. "I see. In a way, I guess my brother is protective of you too, ne?" Hikari giggled. "You wanna know something? He would probably get mad at me for saying things, but I think Oniichan likes you."

Taken back, Mimi stared at Hikari. She felt the familiar creeping-of-the-blood-to-her-cheeks as she stammered, "A-are you sure? I mean, your brother is nice to me and all, but—"

"—he likes you." Hikari smiled while giving the taller brunette a light push, "Secret, ne?" The smaller girl ended with a wink.

Mimi, obviously shocked and flattered, lowered her gaze and nodded.

"Aww, you're such a cutie!" Hikari squealed as she took one more snapshot before reviewing her previously taken pictures.

Mimi raised her head and eyed the small brunette who talked to herself as she reviewed the pictures. _This girl… Yagami Hikari. She is such a kind hearted person. She's bubbly, light-hearted, and strong. She also has a warm personality. It's not hard to believe that Yamato could like her. Heck, if I was a guy I would consider her an excellent catch—_

_**Chotto matte!**_

_Coming to realize that my mortal enemy is not really that bad? Hey, when did I compare Hikari as my enemy? An-and the part where I analyze his type and compare to myself…? This is the part of the drama series where I, as the main character, realized my feel—_

_**NO! NO! NO! NO! **_

"Hikari…?" Mimi started as she began to dwindle on the thought of the young girl's relationship with Yamato. Mimi peered at the petite girl as she continued scrolling the images saved on the camera's data card.

"Hmm?" She responded not even bothering to look up.

"Are you… and Yamato…?" Mimi started, trying to find the words she wanted to say without trying to be too obvious.

Yet, the shyness in her voice sparked an interest in the younger Yagami. She lowered her camera and made herself face the chestnut-colored girl. "Yamato-san? What about him?"

"Are you…" _…more than friends?_ The words failed to leave Mimi's mouth. The sheer awkwardness of the conversation was obviously making Mimi fidgety, something that Hikari took note.

"What is it?" Hikari asked bringing herself forward with a small smile.

Before Mimi could use up her courage to ask Hikari the origin of the younger Yagami's relationship with her roommate, a loud thud echoed.

Both girls turned towards the source and eyed the blonde drag his feet away from the rest of the group as the band made a small circle with each member being no less than a meter away from each other.

"Well, that was one of the worst practices I have ever come across!"

"Shut up, Yutaka! If I were you, I'd make sure my beats were in rhythm." The guitarist waved his light brown hair aside as if to brush away the problem.

"If _my _beats need to be in rhythm, Takashi," Yukata stomped, "then you will have to start plucking those strings on that stupid guitar of yours correctly."

"I'm not supposed to pluck, dickwad! I strum!"

"Calm down, guys. We were just nervous, that's all." Their keyboardist tried to soothe the arguing band mates.

"Who asked you, Akira?" The two said in unison as Akira's glasses gently slide from its resting place.

"Shut up! All of you!" Yamato shouted over the other musicians. "It's no one's fault. We're just not focused right now."

"You're one to talk," Takashi replied snidely. "You were almost an hour late. That's crucial for us! Where the hell were you?"

"I told you I had things to take care of."

"_Things to take care of?_" Takashi repeated with disbelief. "Lately, you've been putting the band pretty low in that priority list of yours!"

"What the hell? Why are you wigging out on me?"

"I'm not _wigging_. I'm questioning on your dedication to this band. If we can't even have a proper practice or at least _sound _right, this whole thing is useless. And I'm not the only one who believes this."

Yamato bit his tongue for a second. He adjusted his gaze to the other band members who just avoided his gaze in return.

"I'm going to tune my guitar. Find me when you get your shit together." Takashi scoffed bringing his electric guitar and walking away from the scene.

The other two looked at each other and made their own excuses, making the members of the Teenage Wolves part ways.

Mimi stood in silence as Yamato watched his band mates go in separate ways. She eyed his right fist clench tightly as the whites of his knuckles began to surface. Yamato tried to keep a loud roar from erupting as his leg quickly moved to create the illusion that he attempted to kick something.

"_I guess sound check didn't go so well." _

Mimi turned around to see Taichi sighing as he entered the scene. Mimi watched him shake his head resting his clipboard on his side. "Honestly, I have no idea what to say to him right now." He faced the honey haired girl next to him. He cracked a small smile, "Sorry that you had witness that. Yamato's just a bit nervous I guess."

On cue, Yamato cursed loudly before he got back to practicing his plucking on the four-string guitar.

"A bit? It looks like he's a lot more nervous than that." Hikari commented, crossing her arms.

Taichi adjusted the earpiece attached. He pushed the plastic object deeper into his ear as he started to receive instructions from the stage manager. He turned to his sister, "Hikari, you need to take your seat in the audience soon. They're planning on starting up in a couple of minutes."

Hikari nodded. "I understand."

Taichi turned to Mimi and said, "Sorry, but I have to deliver some stuff to lighting. I didn't mean for our date to end up like this… me running around and whatnot." He shrugged raising his arms signifying that he was in a situation that couldn't be helped.

"Mimi-chan," Hikari looked up, "You should probably talk to Yamato-san."

Mimi opened her mouth, but no coherent words came out. She raised her hands and shook them side to side and stammered, "I-I can't. I-I—Trust me, I'm terrible at comforting him."

"You're his roommate. You'll think of something. You know how to make things better." Taichi said casually, almost absentmindedly. Taichi's eyes widened as his brain finally caught up with what he had just said. Hikari caught the Freudian slip and giggled. Taichi, in the midst of his embarrassment, turned around slowly. "I'll be back," he said as he made the turn then made a beeline to the exit trying to avoid any staff members in his way.

"I guess I should get going too!" Hikari sighed as she swung her arms to the front and the back making her hands create a clapping sound, and taking a large step, following Taichi's direction. When her hands finally clasped together behind her back, she stopped abruptly. Hikari leaned back slightly giving Mimi a profile of her face. "You still think he doesn't like you in that sort of way?"

Mimi made a step forward and extended her arm, attempting to bring Hikari back.

Hikari smirked. "I'll see you after the show, Mimi-chan!"

Mimi slowly retracted her arm and curled her fingers into a fist. She swung her head to the side as she made a disappointed face. "Mou…" She wailed to herself, "Why am I always put in situations like this?"

With her balled hand near her chest, she turned her attention back to her blonde roommate. His right hand tightly grasped the neck of the bass guitar as he softly set himself on a nearby metal folding chair. With his legs slightly parted, his elbows rested on his upper thighs as his fingers intertwined with each other. The guitar's head lightly rested on the floor when Yamato lowered his posture to allow his head to hang low.

After fully turning around, Mimi gulped. '_Courage, courage, courage!'_ She thought to herself as her eyes closed shut. She softly sighed as her eyes opened. "N-Ne!" Mimi called as she walked towards Yamato.

Yamato didn't move his head.

Mimi twitched feeling a little ticked off that she was making an effort and there were no benefits to reap. Mimi softly sat on the other folding chair located next to the blonde. With legs pressed together, Mimi focused on her hands folded in front of her. "So," she looked at Yamato's fallen face on the corner of her eye, "how was sound check?" She mentally wanted to kick herself for asking such a question she already knew the answer to.

'_I knew I should've just walked away.'_

She heard Yamato chuckle as he slumped back. His eyes gazed at the lighting above the stage and sighed. "How could I be so stupid?" He said calmly as he picked up himself up to sit with a proper posture. "Why did I actually believe that we'd be able to pull off a great opening act?"

Mimi pressed her lips even tighter as Yamato continued to rant. "You should've heard us. We were off-beat, out-of-sync… I even forgot my bass solo in the beginning of my own song." His left hand rested on the left knee as the right arm rested on his thigh again. With his head low again, he grunted, "Shit, why can't we get our act together?"

"Ne, ne…" Mimi tried to calm him down, "You think you sounded bad because this is very important for the band." She immediately turned back to her hands and fidgeted in her seat, "Yutaka, Akira, Takashi, you… the Teenage Wolves depend on this performance to be phenomenal because this could make or break you guys. When you channel all your nervousness into just playing for the love of music, you will be fine." Mimi ended with a nod.

"Mimi," Yamato sighed as he stood up, "I really do not want your sympathy right now. I know you're just saying that because we're roommat—"

"**I'm not just saying that!" **Mimi yelled standing up with balled fists. She stomped her way to stand in front of the blonde rocker. She looked down to him with a glare as he matched her glare, "You guys are good. I've been a fan of you guys and you know that. If anyone could be successful, it would be the Teenage Wolves because they have an amazing person like you in their band!"

Almost immediately, Mimi gasped, took a step back, and covered her mouth with both hands. Looking at Yamato's equally shocked face; she suspected that he must've heard it.

…or maybe not.

"What did you just say?" He asked with a blank stare.

When she saw that cocky smirk of his, she knew that he was just teasing her, which she didn't take too lightly. Mimi lowered her hands as they proceeded to make tight clenched fists. She made her usual deathly glare and growled, "Don't make me say it again! It was embarrassing enough to saying it once!"

"Was…" Yamato paused momentarily to release a quick _hah_ sound, then looked around as if he was seeking out any witnesses before turning back to her, "…was that a compliment?"

"Quit teasing me!" Mimi whined with a stomp of her foot.

"Were you trying to make me feel better?" Yamato snickered as his arms crossed over his chest, "Does that mean under all that materialistic, selfish, loud-mouth personality of yours lays someone who deeply cares?"

"You're distracting yourself from the most important part of this conversation." Mimi's eyes narrowed. Looking at Yamato's crooked smile, Mimi couldn't help but make a heavy sigh. She wanted to refrain from using her secret weapon, but he had given her no choice.

Mimi opened her matching bag and searched for the said weapon. She didn't notice the curious brow of Yamato raise as she continued to move the contents of her bag around.

She smiled as she pulled the green soft tag-like pouch. She moved her gaze at Yamato who had lightly tapped on his bicep wondering what the omamouri (1) had to offer. She gently unfolded his arms and arranged his hands in such a way that when she brought his bass guitar to its correct position. She fixed the guitar strap on his shoulder before hanging the small amulet just on the guitar's head.

After she took a couple of steps back, Yamato's eyes trailed to the green fabric. He had some difficulty reading the character from where he was. He brought his attention to Mimi who had a small tint on her cheeks.

"It's _my _good luck charm." She stated, giving special note to her possession. "I'm lending it to you because you look like you need it."

"Your good luck charm, ne?" He asked as if he needed confirmation.

"Yes, mine." She said quickly averting her eyes. "I want it back. I don't want you to have all the luck the charm has."

Yamato could help but laugh at the reason. "So you consider that fact that an agency—that you gave your rent to—ran off, forcing you to live with me, lucky?"

Mimi's cheeks puffed making her glare return towards his direction, "I didn't say it worked all the time." She snapped.

He chuckled. Yamato placed his right hand on the body of the guitar, keeping it in place, as his left hand's fingers grazed over the soft fabric. A small smile on his face became lopsided as he faced the other apartment 431 occupant. He titled his head to the side.

"You have a weird way of saying good luck." Yamato snorted. "Arigatou."

For some odd reason, that type of smile made Mimi feel a bit weak in the knees. She quickly regained her composure as she turned around with her hands clasped together behind her back.

"Mo-moron!" Mimi exclaimed suddenly thankful that he wasn't seeing her face turn a little red. "You better find your band mates and get your act together. You guys got a show to do."

She heard Yamato release a puff of air through his nostrils before he got up and stretched.

"You're right." He said plainly as he began to tug on his shirt to ensure that no wrinkles were staying on his shirt. When he was satisfied, he released an exaggerated sigh and gazed at the back facing him.

"You know," Mimi heard him paused, "I'm glad you're here." He finished with a chuckle before he exited the scene.

When she was sure that he wasn't in sight of her, Mimi quickly brought her palms to her cheeks to feel the blood that immediately rushed to her face. _Calm down. Calm down!_ She made small pats on her cheek bones hoping to ease the flushed cheeks.

_What the heck is going with my cheeks lately?_

* * *

The lights dimmed then glowed twice indicating the start of the show. The teenage wolves gathered themselves and seemed excited to start…

'cept for their bassist-lead singer.

Yamato stood next to Mimi and inhaled and exhaled deeply. He violently shook his hands attempting to release his nervous jitters. But seeing the wrinkled nose and sweat forming on his brow, Mimi knew it was not working at all. He tried adjusting the strap of the bass guitar trying to find the perfect position for the piece of cloth to rest. When that didn't work, he began to tap the guitar.

"You should stop that." Mimi lightly smacked his shoulder. "You're making everyone around you nervous, namely me. And I'm not even preforming." Mimi glared as her fingertips touched her chest.

"I don't want to mess up." Yamato grunted.

"I gave you my omamouri, didn't I?" Mimi smiled indicating the joke. Yet, Yamato's pupils shrank at the thought. The female roommate's eyes widened. "Where did you put it? I told you to take care of it!"

Yamato dropped the expression and chuckled. He pulled the charm from his pocket and dangled it over Mimi's face.

She glared, "You're funny."

"I can't just let it dangled on my strap. Don't want it to get lost now do we?" Mimi continued to glare. "What's your deal? Performing in front of people is no easy feat." Yamato sighed putting the charm back in his pocket.

It was Mimi's turn to laugh. "All you do is look pretty sing and pluck those stupid strings; sounds easy to me."

Yamato's eyes lowered to Mimi and smirked. "I assure you, there is a lot more than that."

"I will take that challenge one day." Mimi smirked back.

"Ten minutes to show time." The stage manager called as crew members ran in different directions, preparing themselves for the show. "Teenage wolves should be on stage within the next eight minutes."

"Hey, guys." Yamato called his band mates as they turned to face him. "No matter what happens, I'm glad to have you guys as my band mates."

Takashi smiled softly. "We're not going into battle. We're just a group of guys doing what we love." The other two smiled as they followed Takashi out into the stage.

Yamato released one more sigh before he looked to Mimi. He quickly wiggled his eyebrows with a small smirk. "Showtime, ne?" Mimi nodded as a response. Yamato exhaled deeply before he walked onto stage.

Mimi followed Yamato till she could follow him no more. She noticed that the crowd responded to the blonde's appearance by softly cheering and applauding as he plugged in his bass. She watched him and the rest of the wolves tune their instruments.

Mimi folded her hands together and brought her folded hands close to her lips, making a small prayer to _Kami-san. _She knew that nervousness was, once again, climbing on his ankles and creeping its way into his psyche.

"_Please, Kami-san, give him the courage he needs._" Mimi whispered with closed shut eyes. When she opened her eyes, coincidently, Yamato's eyes met hers. As best as she could, she gave Yamato a sure nod as he replied in the same fashion.

"_Mina (2)!_" Yamato cheered loudly into the microphone. _"We are the Teenage Wolves!_" He began to pluck his bass solo as Akira followed him with his keyboard,_ "1! 2! 1-2-3-4!_"

The crowd immediately cheered and roared. Mimi, who was praying so hard, lowered her face causing her fist to roll likes gears moving. She tried to hold back a small smile that began to curl on her lips. Tears began to fall as the song played on.

And for that segment in time, Mimi couldn't be any more proud of her blonde roommate and couldn't see or notice anyone else but him.

* * *

Yamato belted out a long note as the last remaining seconds of the song flooded the room. Mimi smiled as another successful song came to an end. If Mimi's intuition was right, the next song would be the last song for the Teenage Wolves before Wada Kouji was going to perform.

"_Shit." _

Mimi turned around to see her date approaching her while violently scratching the back of his neck from irritation. "I am guessing something isn't right."

Taichi release a heavy sigh. "I screwed up…really bad." He groaned scratching the back of his again. "I gave one of the backup singers orange juice to drink. And who knew that orange juice gives a singer dry throat." He ranted making over exaggerated mannerisms.

"And I'm guessing you didn't?" Mimi couldn't help but giggle.

Taichi immediately grabbed Mimi's hands. "I know I have been a terrible, _terrible _date, but may I ask you for one favor?"

"Fa…favor?" Mimi repeated, slightly embarrassed that her crush was holding her hand rather tightly.

"Yes, a favor." He nodded. "Can you fill in as the backup singer?"

"Can I what?" Mimi yelled. Thankfully, the song the Teenage Wolves were playing was loud enough to mask her rather loud question. Mimi tried to give an answer, but failed to do so. Small gasps of air were coming out before her actual answer was released. "I-I can't. I rarely like singing to myself in the shower."

"It can't be that bad."

"I was booed off of the stage in my kindergarten singing contest."

"That was in kindergarten." Taichi reasoned. "This will be easy. I promise. I'm sure you've heard enough of Wada-san's songs to at least harmonize with it, right? Please do me this favor." Taichi released the girl's hands and bowed formally.

Seeing his desperation pained Mimi's heart. "O-okay, okay." Mimi mumbled, hoping Taichi would get up and that the crew members would stop staring at the couple.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Taichi hugged the brunette then pulled her towards one of the changing rooms.

'_What have I gotten myself into?'_ Mimi asked herself as she allowed herself to be pulled by Taichi, not noticing the side-stare that Yamato gave her as Taichi pulled her away.

When Taichi opened the changing room door, Mimi noticed the air of smoke that came out of the room. Closing her eyes, she coughed and waved the smoke away from her face. When the air cleared, she noticed the woman sitting in front of the light bulb-rimmed mirror. Her hair was undone and dressed in her civilian clothes. She wedged the cigarette between her index and middle finger and pulled it out of her mouth. She blew the access air out of her lungs after she took notice of her guests.

"You!" She objected seeing Taichi's reflection on the mirror.

"Oh, and she might be still mad at me." Taichi whispered under his breath so that only Mimi could hear.

"What do you want, tard?" She addressed Taichi obviously still pissed about this honest mistake.

"Maybe," Mimi replied in the same fashion before coughing up some of the cigarette smoke.

"My voice is cracking and I cannot sing well." The woman hissed.

"And you think smoking a thunder storm will help you get better?" Mimi retorted. Like a bat retrieving a pinging echo, when the question reached the performer's ears, her ears twitched.

"What did you say?"

Mimi immediately covered her mouth. "Nothing."

"You said something." The woman got up and stood in front of Mimi. "You wanna know something? I smoke when I get anxious. And not having a singing voice for the gig that's going to boost my career is causing a lot of anxiety. So unless your boyfriend got a solution, you should go back home crying you're your mama, bitch."

Mimi's cheeks flushed not just because this woman insulted her, but also her statement of her assumption of her relationship with Taichi. "He's not—"

"_Get out!"_

The two women stared at the chocolate haired boy. Taichi's face hung low and his fist were balled up tight. He quickly raised his head to meet the woman's eyes. And for the first time, Mimi could see fire in Taichi's eyes.

"What did you say, punk?" The woman's nose wrinkled on one side.

"Do not make me repeat it." He glared. "I can get security to escort you so fast that you'll regret not walking out yourself."

The woman humphed and grabbed her bag. She walked past the teenagers before blowing more cigarette smoke at their faces.

Mimi waved her hand to clear up the smoke that accumulated around her. When the woman exited the room, Mimi turned to Taichi who held his serious face. "Taichi?"

When his name came up, Taichi snapped out of his daze. He turned towards Mimi and made an apologetic smile. "Yeah, I'm okay."

"Why did you say all that?" Mimi asked looking around. "I'm sure she could've—"

"She could say all she wants about me." Taichi started, making Mimi's statement cut short. "She could call me anything she wants, but, when she called you _that, _something within me snapped. As a man, my duty should be to protect women. She is not allowed to say anything about you, especially _that_."

After a moment in silence, Taichi turned to Mimi. With a wide expression, he jumped back. "Oh shit! I told her to get out! How the heck am I supposed to explain this to Fujita-san?"

Mimi took the clothes hanging on the metal rack. She avoided Taichi's curious gaze. "Please leave the room. I need to change."

It took a couple of seconds for the idea to register in Taichi's head. He nodded in agreement. "I'll wait for you outside." Before he closed the door, Taichi called out Mimi's name. She turned to face his warm smile. "Thank you for doing this."

As soon as the door closed, Mimi began to change. Slipping on the short midnight blue halter dress, Mimi thanked God for the simple wear. She changed out of her flats and into the matching heels located near the rack. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.

"_Are you done?"_ Taichi asked through the door. When Mimi told him to come in, Taichi slowly opened the door and looked at the girl before him. "It looks good on you."

Mimi nodded, fixing herself in front of the mirror.

"I forgot to mention…" Taichi trailed off looking on the countertop of the vanity mirror. "Ai-san wears a wig during her performances."

"Hah?" Mimi questioned as Taichi position a strawberry blonde wig over the brunette's head. Mimi gazed at the pink hair. It was decorated with red highlights and yellow snap-on stars. _This is a bit much, isn't it?_

Mimi faced Taichi and nodded. "I'll do my best."

* * *

"_Mina, this is the last song for tonight!" _Wada Kouji called out to the crowd as groaned together.

Mimi made a sigh of relief. Standing on the side of the stage and under the lights was almost unbearable. Besides, the wig was getting pretty hot.

"I would like to thank you all for supporting me for all these years." He bowed modestly to the audience. "Please continue to support me. Also, I'd like to thank the Teenage Wolves for stepping in as my opening act. Please welcome them back to the stage to join in in our last song."

Mimi fanned herself as the Teenage Wolves came back. She felt the familiar murky aura as Yamato stood next to her. Mimi gulped. She did not tell him that she was on stage this whole time, and being in the ridiculous get-up was just humiliating. She moved her eyes, careful not to make any face-to-face confrontation.

Her fidgeting caused her to accidently brush her arm against Yamato's. He turned towards Mimi and apologized. Their eyes met briefly before Mimi quickly retreated by looking at the opposite direction. But from the corner of her eyes, she saw the typical smirk.

_This is so embarrassing._

"Well, don't you look ridiculous?" Yamato scoffed. When Mimi didn't respond, he continued, "So here you are at this time… on stage. I thought you and Taichi left for a secret rendezvous."

"Shut up." Mimi finally whispered as Yamato chuckled softly.

"You could've refused, you know."

"He needed my help."

"You mean Wada-san?"

"No, idiot, I meant—"

"—Taichi." Both roommates responded. One scoffed while the other glared with a red face.

"Nice wig." Yamato laughed.

"No one is talking to you."

"Obviously, you are."

"Just shut it. You are obviously jealous that I can help someone without having you involved in any way." Mimi stuck her tongue out.

"I'm not jealous." Yamato curtly responded.

"Then why are you acting like this every time Taichi's name is mentioned?" Mimi raised her nose.

"Because I was your friend first!" Yamato said through grunted teeth.

"The last song will feature the back-up vocals of Maeda Ai-san." Kouji raised his hand to present the strawberry blonde to his left. On cue, the spotlight focused on Mimi's already flushed self.

When the lights glared Mimi's eyes, it distracted her from the staring contest that she and Yamato were participating in. She raised her arm to shield the intensity of the spotlight as her eyes scouted for any hint as to why the light was suddenly on her.

"What's going on?" She whispered.

"Maeda-san?" Kouji asked, wondering why the singer had not moved.

Akira slide behind the roommates. "You're going to sing the female solo part of the song _Endless Tale_. Weren't you paying any attention?" Akira whispered.

"Yeah, weren't you listening Mimi?" Yamato pushed Mimi a bit forward.

"Tachikawa-san?" Akira gasped quietly.

Mimi's feet came to a halt as she stood parallel to Kouji. Obvious panic flooded her face. Her knees began to wobble and her hands became clammy. Mimi was barely able to raise the microphone in front of her.

"_Wada-san."_

Mimi felt something warm snake her hand. She turned her face to a profile position. Over her shoulder she saw Yamato stepped a bit forward and placed his hand on hers.

"Do you mind if I can sing too?" Yamato asked politely.

Kouji smiled and nodded before averting to the audience again.

Yamato lowered his gaze to Mimi. She mouthed, "Thank you." Yamato made a half smile before retreating his hand. All of a sudden, the warm hand turned into cool fabric. She looked down and unraveled her gripped hand. That's when she saw her charm. She looked at him over again.

Yamato nodded. "Do it for those who believe in you. Be brave."

Mimi slowly turned around and faced the audience again.

"Ai-san?" Kouji asked, "Are you ready?"

Mimi gripped the charm and nodded.

* * *

"_Thank you for your hard work!"_ Crew members bowed.

Mimi closed the dressing room door behind her and bowed in response. Being thanked for a job that was purely accident was awkward to her. She didn't have the heart to tell these people that she was not the "Ai-san" that they were trying to thank. But then again, she couldn't help but like the attention.

Speaking of thanking, it was right to thank Yamato. _Despite the moron he was, thanking him is the right thing to do. _Mimi reasoned. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder as began her way to band's dressing room.

Mimi stopped in her tracks seeing a boy in front of the dressing room door. Dressed in olive cargo pants and a forest green shirt with yellow borders under a white and yellow hooded zip-up vest, the boy's face was expressionless as he just stared at the name in front of the door.

"Excuse me." Mimi interrupted as she approached him. He turned to face Mimi, causing Mimi to be taken back a bit. Despite the cool attitude he was portraying, his blue eyes were big and filled with nervousness. "Is Yamato inside?"

"I don't think so." He said plainly, jabbing his thumb back indicating the door behind him. "I've been knocking and no one answered. I'm waiting for him too."

"Ah, I see," Mimi nodded folding her hands, giving herself something to do to avert the uncomfortable 30 seconds of her life. She stared at the boy as he placed his hands into the pockets of his vest. He seemed young, maybe thirteen or fourteen. Could he be a fan perhaps? But the way he was acting didn't make him seem like an avid fan that wanted to meet Yamato in person.

"_Are you ready to leave?" _Taichi asked touching Mimi's shoulder.

Mimi nodded. "I'll follow you outside." Taichi agreed leaving the girl and the stoic boy alone.

"Excuse me," She said catching the boy's attention, "when you get a chance, can you tell Yamato that Mimi said thank you."

The boy nodded in agreement. Mimi bowed thankfully and made her way towards the back entrance. Mimi looked over her shoulder to take one more glance at the boy before her back was completely turned away. _Who is that kid anyway?_

"_You did a great job."_

Mimi noticed Koushiro walking towards her and smiled. "You noticed me under the wig?"

"Hmm…" Koushiro started pretending to think, "I can't say that I didn't. I've been here backstage all this time."

"Eh?" Mimi gasped giving her friend a small push. "Where were you? Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

Koushiro shrugged. "Surprise, I guess. Where's Ishida-kun? I wanted to congratulate him on his performance."

"He's not in the dressing room."

"Invaded by fans I suppose." Koushiro laughed.

Mimi laughed. When the polite laugh subsided, she bent her head down. There was a thought in her mind, and it was best to release it now. "How did you get in here?"

"I took the Yurikamome line, then—"

"I didn't mean that, I meant—wait, you took the Yurikamome line?" Mimi asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't as crowded as I thought it was going to be." Koushiro stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But I don't think that's what you wanted to me asking about."

Dumbfounded, Mimi shook her head to find her words again. "Yes, I-I mean no. I wanted to ask you how you got backstage. You needed –"

"Pass?" Koushiro waved the laminated tag in front of him. "Ishida-kun gave it to me. I was surprised when he approached me with the pass in school. I came late, but I couldn't find you. I finally recognized you with that really strange wig." He laughed.

"Please don't remind me." Mimi's eyes rolled.

"Strawberry blonde looks good on you." Koushiro laughed.

"But I thought he gave them to his fam—" Mimi stopped midsentence when she saw Koushiro's curious face. Maybe leaking information about his personal life isn't something that Yamato wants. And out of common courtesy, she had to respect that.

Mimi shook her head. "Nothing. What about Miyako?"

"Ehh…" Koushiro started as he dug for his cellphone. After he flipped it open and search through it, he continued, "She texted me a while ago saying she was trying get a ticket from scalpers. I don't know if it worked for her." Koushiro looked up to Mimi and saw that she was distracted with a topic that didn't involve Miyako's condition. "Are you alright, Mimi?"

Mimi's attention went back to the conversation. "Uh-Yeah, I'm fine I just…" She paused and debated whether or not she should ask if Yamato had said anything else to him.

"Just…?"

Mimi shook her head, "Do not worry about it. I have to go. Taichi is waiting for me outside."

* * *

"There you are!" Taichi cheered seeing Mimi descend from the stairs. "I was starting to think you went home." He laughed rocking forward and back.

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Mimi apologized bowing slightly.

He gazed at her and smiled. "Now… Since we're in Palette Town (2), what do you want to do?"

Mimi's eyes wondered to the great Daikanransha. Despite the darkness, the big wheel managed to splash color to illuminate the sky. Mimi could help but smile as one color swirled and transcendent to another

Taichi followed Mimi's and started at the famous Ferris wheel. "Would you like to ride that?"

"Un!" Mimi nodded, not shy to show her excitement. Taichi smiled. He made a small cough distracting Mimi for a second so that one hand was able to swoop in to hold hers. Mimi looked up to Taichi who returned the stare with red cheeks. He quickly stepped back and released her hand.

"I'm sorry if that was too sudden." He said all in one breath.

Mimi lowered her head and bravely took Taichi's hand. She intertwined their fingers and smiled confidently. "No, it wasn't."

Embarrassed himself, Taichi smiled as they walked together to the Ferris wheel. When they got close, they saw the long line that had been formed to ride the wheel.

"Mou…" Mimi whined. "Did everyone decide to ride Daikanransha after the concert?"

"Do you mind the wait?" Taichi asked looking at the number of people there.

Mimi released a sigh and shook her head. "I don't mind the wait." Taichi pulled her to take their place in line.

Minutes passed and the line was moving slowly. To pass the time, the couple decided to make small talk. "You know, you sang really well." Taichi smiled giving Mimi the compliment.

"It was an off-side dream to possibly sing," Mimi said honestly, "but I never really got the chance till now."

"Good thing you were around otherwise you would never have done it."

"Un," Mimi nodded. "Lucky." She swung side to side. The small glimmer of the fabric distracted her. She looked inside her bag and saw the omamouri she lent to Yamato. Suddenly a tingling sensation radiated from her hand.

"Yama—" Mimi stopped seeing Taichi's blinking eyes. She shook her head. She lowered her eyes to see that Taichi held her hand.

"Ano…" Taichi started. "Do you like anyone in a romantic way?"

Mimi twitched at the idea. "Why do you ask?"

"Mimi," Taichi coughed out, "I know that we're just friends now but—" Taichi squeezed her hand, "I … Mimi…"

"_Oniichan! Mimi-chan!" _Hikari hollered running to the duo. Oddly enough, Mimi released a sigh of relief.

When the younger Yagami stopped in front of the duo, she rested her hands on her needs, breathing heavily. "What is it now, Hikari?" Taichi whined.

"It is late, Oniichan." Hikari fixed her posture, but placed a hand over her heart as an attempt to slow it down. "Mama said you have to take me home."

"Now of all times?" Taichi exclaimed causing all eyes to stare at him. "I was about to conf—!"

"Oniichan!" Hikari whined.

Mimi tried to suppress her giggle by covering her mouth. "It is fine, Taichi. We can go another time." She dug deep into her bag. She pulled out her trusty phone and said, "I'll just call Yamato and tell him that we should get going." Mimi began searching for his number.

"But didn't Yamato-san's cellphone get damaged." Hikari reasoned.

Before Mimi pressed the green button, she stopped. She looked at Hikari and sighed. "You're right." Mimi closed her cellphone. She bit her bottom lip, trying to think of a solution. "I guess I have to find him and tell him that we should be going home."

"He left already." Hikari added, "He was walking away with his two friends."

Mimi opened her mouth, but closed it when she knew there was nothing more to add to the conversation. "I should just go home then." She shrugged.

"We should take the train together!" Hikari cheered hooking one arm with Mimi and the other with her older brother. The two looked at each other and smiled as they allowed Hikari to pull them away from the line and towards the train station.

* * *

"Believe me. It will be okay." Mimi sweat dropped holding her bag behind her back.

"I still do not like the plan, Mimi." Taichi shook his head. "I should bring you home first."

"I'm a big girl. I can manage on my own." Mimi titled her head to the side. "You should bring Hikari home first."

Taichi sighed. "Alright, but call me when you get home." He commanded giving her a glare. When Mimi agreed, he took Hikari with him and went the opposite direction.

Mimi smiles to herself. _He's worried about me! I think he really does like me!_ Mimi cheered by jumping in excitement. Mimi looked at her watch and read 9:34pm. That's enough time to make it hope before curfew.

Suddenly, there was a rumbling echoing through the sky. Mimi started at the sky as droplets began to descend.

"It's raining?" Mimi exclaimed. "I guess it's good that I didn't wait in line." Mimi sighed pulling off her cardigan and putting it over her head. "To home!" She cheered running through the rain.

After the first block of hiding under safe tarps, Mimi felt the tingle in the back of her spine. She tried to shake off the feeling, but with every step, she felt more and more anxious. _Maybe I should have asked Taichi and Hikari to walk me home. _Thankfully, her cellphone was still in her hand. She flipped it and browsed through her contacts. That's when she discovered a fatal flaw in that plan.

"I forgot that I did not get his number." Mimi gulped. She closed the phone and held it close to her chest. Despite the uncomfortable wetness from the cardigan soaking onto her hair and back, she knew the best idea was to go home and fast.

The closer she walked towards the apartment building, the more she realized how dark the area became. The local shops were no longer there. The streetlamps became less frequent. The blanket of darkness grew.

Her feet expertly avoided puddles as the rain began to pour more water. The dark luminous feeling that tingled her spine grew. Mimi bit her lip as her feet ran faster. In a panic, Mimi began to run in circles around the neighborhood. Each corner she turned, her heart would seem to beat faster and faster.

The tumbling thunder and bright lightning heightened her fear. She saw many movies and dramas that had the same exact scene. A defenseless girl would be walking home in the dimly lit streets during a rain storm. There, lurking in the shadows, would be someone who frequently targets girls in their teenage years because of obvious reason.

Her cheeks were soaked by not only the rain but her tears. After what happened in the train earlier that afternoon, the fear within Mimi intensified tenfold. There, Yamato was there to watch over her. Now, she was alone. For once in her life, she felt truly afraid.

Without knowing it, she tripped and skidded into the puddles on the pavement. She slowly sat up, ignoring the rain that now soaked through her clothes. Mimi was crying so much that her eyes burned. She wished for someone to come find her… except him.

From behind, she heard feet coming closer to her, stepping on puddles along the way. Her body froze as the rain continued to pour harder and harder on her. She closed her eyes and began to shiver.

_I wish I asked Koushiro my questions. I wish I should've allowed Taichi to walk me home. I wish…_

The man stopped when he was close enough to her. Mimi braced herself to fight back with whatever strength she had left.

_I wish I said thank you to Yamato._

The boots stopped in front of Mimi. He crouched down to Mimi's level. Mimi heard the sound of rain hitting the umbrella, shielding them from the rain. With tears still streaming from her eyes and the water rolling from her hair, her blurred vision slowly cleared as the guy tried to wipe her face using his fingers.

"Ya-Yamato?" She asked hoping that this was not some type of illusion.

He smiled softly, "For a bag that size, I would've thought you had an umbrella in there." Mimi's tears came flooding back. "Hah? Are you crying? You weren't scared of thunder, were you?" Yamato laughed wiping her tears again. "I thought you were braver than that."

Mimi continued desperately to hold back her tears, but cried harder as she sprung forward to hug him tightly causing him to fall onto the pavement. "You're shivering." Yamato noted, adjusting the umbrella over them.

She didn't care what she was doing or what he was thinking of her now. All that she knew _was_ that she scared, and now she wasn't.

"Come on." He commanded pushing her off of him gently as he helped her stand up. "Let's walk home together, okay?" He asked taking off his black zip up sweater and putting it over her shoulders.

"Ho-how did you fuh-fuh-find me?" Mimi asked trying to hide her shivers.

"When I came home, you weren't there. I was assuming you didn't come back with your date with Taichi." Yamato explained, holding Mimi up by putting his protective arm over her and gripping her arm to keep her up. "So I went to the train station to see if you were around, but on my way there, I saw you walking, and then you were running faster. I guess it was because you didn't have an umbrella."

Mimi nodded, knowing that her reason was a complete lie.

"So," Yamato asked to kill the silence, "How was your date? Was Taichi good to you?"

"It was fine." Mimi said in between sniffles. "He was a gentleman the entire evening."

"Last time I checked, gentlemen always walk the ladies home." Yamato added.

"Hikari was with us. I told him that she should get home first."

"I'm sure he would've walked you home first."

_Maybe I wanted you to bring me home… _Mimi's eyes widened at what she said subconsciously. Mimi stopped on her tracks, which caused a big surprise for Yamato.

"What's wrong? Did you forget something?" Yamato raised his brow.

Mimi snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to Yamato who waited for a response. A piece of Mimi's wet, limp hair fell of the collar of Yamato's sweater. "Oh my!" She shrieked. "Your sweater!" Mimi pulled one sleeve lower and brought it to her nose. "It smells like ass! Smell it."

Yamato narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on the umbrella. Mimi brought the cuff higher to make the blonde smell it. He pushed her arm down and scoffed, "You're just overreacting. My clothes do not smell bad."

"Smell it!" Mimi commanded as she made a rather hard whack to his face with the sleeve. She sneezed momentarily afterwards.

Yamato covered his face as he moved back a step. Leaning forward, he rubbed his nose then lowered his hand. "What the hell, you aggravating bitch!" He yelled in aggravation. "You are making my jacket all wet! You've been soaking yourself with rain water for the past twenty minutes!"

"Well, at least my jacket doesn't smell like ass!" Mimi sneezed.

"I'm glad to know that you know what an ass smells like." Yamato retorted.

* * *

(1)_ Shinto amulet_  
(2) _This is a location in Odaiba that is a known for its entertainment complex and large shopping area._

_MAN! This chapter is finally finished! I have been thinking about this chapter nonstop—in the train, bus, class, and church, everywhere! I am satisfied with the end of it. (smiles) I hope you are too! __**Tell me how I did in your review! **_

_If you were curious about the song that the Teenage Wolves sang first, it's Yamato's character image song in Digimon Adventure ZERO-2, __**Negai Kanaeru Kagi.**_

_I am not sure if anyone noticed, but __**Endless Tale**__ is a duet between Wada Kouji and Maeda Ai, who coincidently was the voice actress for our dear Tachikawa Mimi-san, that served as the ending theme to Digimon Frontiers. So in a strange way, Wada Kouji and Tachikawa Mimi __**did**__ sing together. Now the character that was used in the story is not supposed to be the characterization of the Maeda Ai's actual personality. It was for the sake of the story._

_The last part of the chapter was actually on the spur of the moment. I was listening to __**Otsuka Ai – Planetarium **__(as heard in HYD Live Action Drama) and it gave me the inspiration for the little scene. (smiles)_

_With the way things are going (in the story), the next chapter (or maybe two) will have the climax! What does that mean? This story is halfway done. Aren't you excited?_

_I already wrote Chapter 10, so please leave a review and I promise to continue the story!_

_Till next time…!_


	10. Feelin' a Bit Warm

Chapter 10: Feelin' a Bit Warm

* * *

Mimi slowly opened her eyes as the morning began. As her arms extended to stretch, a drawn out groan erupted from her mouth. As she tried to pick herself up from her bed, _it_ happened.

Her temples began to pulsate. Mimi tightly closed her eyes as her hands began to massage the area. "What a way to wake up in the morning…" She mused. She brought her body up and dragged her feet to the kitchen where she saw Yamato already dressed taking a sip from his morning mug.

"Ohayou." He said plainly without removing his eyes from his textbook.

"Ohayou," Mimi greeted with a groan. Her hands motioned to place the loaves of bread in the toaster. Her eyes closed momentarily as the warm vapor from the burning toast temporarily soothed the ache on her head.

"I have an English test coming up," Yamato flipped another page from his textbook, "So I'm going to meet up with Sora early. Will you get to school—" Yamato paused as his eye caught Mimi leaning rather close to the toaster, "—okay?" He watched her sway back and forth over the toaster with a small smile on her face.

With eyes still closed, Mimi hummed a little tune as she continued to wait for the toast to cook. She began to reminisce what happened last night.

_"Hah? Are you crying? You weren't scared of thunder, were you?" Yamato laughed wiping her tears again. "I thought you were braver than that."_

_Mimi continued desperately to hold back her tears, but cried harder as she sprung forward to hug him tightly causing him to fall onto the pavement. "You're shivering." Yamato noted, adjusting the umbrella over them._

_She didn't care what she was doing or what he was thinking of her now. All that she knew _**_was _**_that she scared, and now she wasn't._

Mimi's eyes peaked open to check on the toast. The cream colored walls and familiar pieces of furniture did not make up the kitchen. Her eyes opened wide when she realized that she was in bed. She immediately got up and looked around the room, pinpointing anything misplaced. Was she dreaming again?

_Speaking of dreams… _Mimi's eyes narrowed. Last night, that hug, it was because she was scared, right? Yeah, it was because of fright. There's no possible way it could've meant anything more than that. But if it was nothing, why is it such a big deal?

Her hand gently fisted her comforter as her head began to pulsate again. "Damn bed." Mimi cursed as she looked over to her shooting star themed alarm clock. "If I don't get ready now, I'm going to be late."

On cue, Yamato walked into the room with an ear thermometer on his hand. "Stay in bed." He commanded taking the back of the rolling study chair and dragging it near the bed. He sat on the chair and placed the thermometer on the side table.

"Why do I have to stay in bed?" Mimi snarled, but quickly regretted it as her migraine worsened.

"Because, last I checked, passing out on the breakfast table is not considered a sign of good health." Yamato scoffed while his hands placed a clean cover on the thermometer. He brought his hand up and gently placed the back of his hand on Mimi's forehead. He placed his other hand on his own forehead and gazed at the ceiling. He sat still for a few moments to compare the temperatures.

A warm glow gradually swiped across Mimi's cheeks. She bit her lip hoping that Yamato didn't notice.

"As I thought," He sighed removing his hands and began to look for the thermometer that he brought. "You have a fever."

"Fever?" Mimi repeated, thanking God that her blush was mistaken for a fever (though thinking about it, Mimi deduced that it must have been an amazing amount blood that miraculously fled to her cheeks to be mistaken as a fever). "I can't have a fever." She laughed, disregarding her warm cheeks.

Yamato finally found the thermometer and checked if the batteries in the blasted thing were still working.

Mimi chuckled. "You must've diagnosed it incorrectly. Come on, you're not a doctor and your thermometer looks like it's for kids."

"Well, my patient _is_ acting like a child." Yamato snapped earning a glare from his female flat mate.

"Now, hold still." He stated as he popped the mechanism into her ear. There was a brief moment of silence before there was a beep from the object. Yamato extracted the thermometer and glanced at the small LED screen. "Thirty seven point six degrees Celsius… You have a fever." He ended with a small smirk, removing the plastic over, and pleased that he was right... again.

"Let me see that." Mimi cried grabbing the ear thermometer. There it was; bright as day, 37.6. "It's not _that_ bad. I survived temperatures worse than this. I'm okay. Now if you excuse me, I have to get to school." Mimi pushed Yamato out of her way. The brunette made her way to the bathroom. Without even thinking, Mimi opened the door and left it open as her hands scoured for her toothbrush and toothpaste.

"It's not bad now, but it can get worse later." Yamato sighed leaning on the bathroom's door frame with his arms and legs crossed. He watched Mimi brush her teeth through the mirror's reflection and growled. Why must this woman be so hardheaded? "Stay home and rest."

Mimi spat out the toothpaste solution. She looked up at the mirror and continued to reason with the blonde. "I-I'm fine. Just let me take a shower and—"

"Fine! Fine." Yamato retorted, turning around and heading towards the living room. "I'll call Sora and tell her that I'll see her in lunch." Yamato mumbled as he took out his frustration by violently pushing the keys on his cellphone. "If you're not going to stay home, I might as well make sure you get to school without passing out."

Mimi pushed the door to a close. She released a sigh as her back rested on the wooden barricade. Mimi lightly massaged her temple as the migraine crept its way back. Her skin felt warm to the touch.

Her eyes caught sight of her reflection. She inched towards the glass and examined herself. She noticed the reddish flushed tint on her face then released a sigh. "I should take that shower now I guess."

* * *

Mimi was never really athletic and did not fancy running competitively either. Today's gym class was something she dreaded most, which she considered the devil's incarnate: baton racing. For some odd reason, the sun was especially hot that day and Mimi knew it. She lightly fanned herself with the collar of her white gym shirt with the loose neon green mesh smock over it. She stood at her place waiting for Miyako to come along with the baton, despising the unwanted beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face and eventually joining its brethren on the nape her neck.

"Stupid sun and the stupid heat," Mimi grumbled as she pulled the left leg of her gym shorts away from her thigh to allow cool air to brace her thigh.

"_Good job, Inoue! Don't put your knees all the way up! Conserve your energy!"_

Mimi's eyes focused to Miyako who was in a great lead. Miyako followed what the teacher instruction and continued the leading streak. Miyako, dressed in her own sweat, looked like she was running for her life.

"Mi-chan!" Miyako yelled trying to keep her breathing in place, "get ready!"

Mimi nodded, trying her best to ignore the heat. Suddenly, the throbbing pain in her head seeped in again. Like a slow acting virus, it began to spread throughout her head until the beats of the pain matched her heart. Before she could treat the pain like she's been doing throughout the day, Miyako was merely 3 steps away from her.

The purple-haired friend shoved the plastic tube into Mimi's hands and gave her a little push, transferring the momentum that was left in the girl's body.

"Go, Mi-chan, go!" Miyako yelled as her legs slowly came to a stop. The younger girl placed her hands on her hips, as her heart demanded more oxygen. "Go—Mimi!" She cheered between breaths.

Mimi tried her best to keep a straight face despite the pain and the heat. She held the colored tube tightly, fearing that her now calmly hands would cause an automatic forfeit for her and her team. _'Please,' _Mimi begged, _'Let this be over soon!'_

"_Go, Takeba-san! You're almost there!"_

"_You can do it, Tachikawa! You're going to win!"_

From the corner of her eye, Mimi saw her fellow classmate matching her speed.

'_Shit.' _Mimi cursed, as she closed her eyes and tried to run faster. _'This girl is in the track team!'_ The sweat that produced from her forehead began to trail its way down Mimi's face, leaving a slight burning sensation on her eyes. Mimi released all her frustration in a loud groan as she used up all her energy to move more ahead.

Seconds, Mimi felt her body feel like jelly, moving and swinging around only because all of the energy has been delivered to her legs and arms.

After two seconds, the whistle blew. There was a collection of groans and cheers from their classmates. "Good job, everyone!" The gym teacher hollered. "It was a close race, but I believe the green team won!" He smiled as a small collection of girls squealed and cheered.

He wrote the results on his clipboard, "Congrats, green team! Inoue Miyako, you especially did a great—Inoue?" The gym teacher turned to look for the surprisingly fast pupil.

"_Sensei?"_ Miyako's voice reached the teacher's ears. He followed the sound and faced his right side. He gazed at Miyako crouching over with her back towards the teacher and waving an arm.

He walked to Miyako's location, placing his clipboard on his hip. "What is it, Inoue?" He asked while trying to look over the girl's shoulder.

She gazed up at her teacher and spoke softly, "Sensei, I think Mi-chan needs to go to the infirmary."

* * *

Mimi softly moaned as she moved to stretch her arms. She felt long sheets of soft cotton skim the pads of her fingers. Her eyes softly opened and were slightly dazed by the sight of white. Her eyes continued to wonder its surroundings till it landed on a familiar face reading a book on his lap.

"Koushiro-kun?" Mimi asked as her vision began to clear up. "Where am I?"

"Infirmary," Koushiro curtly replied, closing his book. "You fainted…?" He asked with a raised brow with a half-smile as if he was trying to see if she could recall what happened.

"…during gym?" Mimi finished his statement with disbelief in her voice. She groaned louder after seeing Koushiro nod in confirmation. Mimi raised her hand and covered her face. "How embarrassing…" Her voice muffled through her hands.

"…but very ladylike." Koushiro chuckled. When his vision caught sight of Mimi's glare through the cracks of her hand, Koushiro coughed to cover up the chuckle. "Anyway, how are you feeling?"

Mimi sighed as her hand lay down on the bed. "Weak? Tired?" She answered as though she was trying to find the appropriate word. She avoided Koushiro's gaze by staring at the white ceiling. "How long have I been here?"

"Since the end of gym class," Koushiro sighed. "It's lunch now."

"And you've been here with me all this time?" Mimi asked half amused.

"Well, my friend is in the infirmary. I have to be the welcoming party, right?" Koushiro laughed earning a soft glare from Mimi asking for the truth. "Okay, okay, Miyako really wanted to go at first, but Sensei sent me." Mimi raised her brow. "He told me that I wouldn't have a problem catching up with the class later." He smiled.

"Perks for being number one in the class?" Mimi asked in a joking tone.

"If you call waiting for a classmate to wake up a perk, sure, it's a perk." Koushiro shrugged. "You slept through Mathematics and Japanese Literature… the two subjects you hate most. Fujiama-sensei thought it was on purpose till he heard about your temperature from the nurse."

"Which is…?"

"38 degrees Celsius. You should have just stayed in bed today." He stated noting Mimi's oh-shit-he-was-right reaction.

'_Dammit. Another reason for Yamato gloat._' Mimi groaned.

Koushiro shrugged. He observed Mimi as her hands moved behind to help her body get up. "I wouldn't get up, if I were you." Koushiro lightly placed his hands on his friend's shoulders to push her back down. "The nurse said you have a pretty high fever and should stay in bed till someone picks you up." After he pushed her down, Koushiro gathered his belongings consisting of only a textbook and a mechanical lead pencil. He moved towards the sliding door of the office.

"Koushiro-kun," Mimi addressed with her signature stare causing the redhead to turn. "You know, as well as I do, about my living conditions."

Koushiro stared back at her. "I know." He slid the door as wide as it could go. "Yamato was here while I got lunch. He and I talked about it and we agreed that it's best if he brought you home."

"What?" Mimi asked almost wide eyed. "When did he find—?"

"_Well, it's not everyday someone faints during gym class."_ Yamato appeared from behind the door with two school bags on one hand. "You like to cause rumors, don't you?"

"Shut up, you imbecile!" Mimi roared violently got up, but quickly sank back down as the migraine suddenly became stronger.

"Don't rile her up.' Koushiro pleaded to Yamato.

Yamato scoffed. "Tch, it's not my fault the moron is stubborn as a jackass."

"I heard that!" Mimi shouted without looking at the offending blonde.

"I told you that you have a fever, showed you your temperature, and advised you to stay at home." Yamato retorted. "You're calling _me _the imbecile?"

"Don't kill each other." Koushiro begged as he and Yamato exchanged sides of the door. "I'll stop by your place tomorrow with Miyako, Mimi. Get better." Koushiro smiled leaving the flat mates alone.

Yamato turned back to Mimi and motioned for her to get up. "Get up. We're going home."

Mimi quickly sat up on the bed and crossed her arms. She quickly averted her gaze and puffed her cheeks. "No." She curtly replied. "I do not want to go home with you."

"Stop being so stubborn, you brat." Yamato growled. "Let's go."

"No!" Mimi wailed. "I refuse to go with you. And no-one-can-make-me!" Mimi said emphasizing every word that came out of her mouth.

* * *

Mimi muttered inaudible words under her breath as Yamato locked 431's door behind them. After kicking off her shoes, she crossed her arms. "You're just lucky the nurse told me to leave." Mimi finally said as she stormed into the living room.

"She was right, you know." Yamato smirked, taking the moment to remove his school shoes. He set their school bags onto one of the couches in the living room as he removed the school's blazer off his shoulders and laid it next to their bags. "If you stayed in school, you might've gotten the whole school sick and it would've been your fault."

Mimi pouted and plopped onto an adjacent couch with her arms crossed. Yamato loosened his tie and was about to go to the kitchen area, but stopped when he noticed Mimi sitting in their living room. "What _are _you doing?" Yamato asked in disbelief while his hands still fumbled with his tie.

"Sitting in my living room…?" Mimi said stating the obvious. Her crossed leg continued to bounce up and down in irritation. "After all, you made me leave school. The only thing I can do it just sit here."

The blonde released an irritated grunt. "Have you ever been sick before?"

"Yes?" Mimi raised her brow, "And…?"

"You're supposed to be in bed."

Before Mimi could even respond, Yamato grabbed her hand and jerked her body up to make her stand up. Mimi began to protest loudly as he continued to pull her to her room. It was odd enough to admit, the stupid warm feeling resumed itself again, pinpointing at her hand. Or was it the fever…? The feeling continued to spread throughout her body creating that strange exotic sensation in her heart.

_WHY AM I LIKE THIS?_

"Change into your pajamas and stay in bed." He commanded once Mimi's foot set into the room. "I'll make you tea and get some medicine."

"But you're not going to get back by the time the lunch period ends." Mimi sat on her bed staring at Yamato, who immediately stopped when his foot went past the door frame.

He gave Mimi a profile view of his face. His eyes were fixated on the ground and did not move to look at her. "If you're home by yourself, no one is going to take care of you, right?" He ended the dispute by shutting the door.

Mimi continued her musings under her breath as she changed into loose clothing. Mimi grunted as she fully leaned back on her bed allowing her legs to dangle off the side of it.

"Stupid Yamato and his stupid reasons... I will be alright in my own home." She roared through her teeth. Her eyes fixated on the ceiling above her. Her furrowed brows began to soften. She sighed, "If I'm so mad at him, why do I feel sort of happy he's staying home with me?" She asked to no one in particular as her toes played with each other. She closed her eyes and felt her body becoming at ease. "Maybe I'm just tired…"

A small knock came from the door. _"I'm coming in."_ Yamato stated before opening the door.

Mimi glowered as she got up. "You didn't give me a chance to respond. What if I was naked?"

"Get into bed and drink this." Yamato commanded with a stern voice, ignoring her question.

Mimi puffed her cheeks. Normally, she would be ready as ever to oppose the boy, but today… she didn't have any energy to spare. She obediently pulled the covers over her body, slipping in nicely and sat up before tucking herself in the covers reaching only up to her waist. Her hands gripped the edge of the blanket and released an exaggerated sigh. "Happy?"

"I'll get the medicine from the bathroom, but in the meantime…" He pulled the chair he had left near her bed earlier out of his way. He slowly brought out the mug in his hand up. "…drink this. You need fluids." He lowered the cup to Mimi who graciously took it into her hands. "Be careful," Yamato warned the brunette before leaving the room once more, "it's tea and the water was boiling not too long ago. Therefore, it is hot tea."

Mimi narrowed her eyes. "I know you're trying to insult my intelligence, but I feel too tired to give you some sort of comeback."

Yamato smiled. "I know. I'm milking it for all its worth." He left the room once more, leaving Mimi all alone.

Mimi looked at the light green tea rippling within the small mug. She first gave it a good sniff, taking in all of the soothing attributes that it processed. She brought the rim near her lips, but there was a sudden build up in her throat. She needed to cough. She violently coughed the feeling out of her throat not realizing the ways her body was fluttering.

The hot liquid swayed and swooshed side to side till finally some escaped the mug. It splashed painfully onto Mimi's pale skin. She cursed loudly as the hot stinging pain irritated her skin. She released the mug from her hands. The cup bounced on the wooden floor then rolled on its side causing the tea to spill on the floor.

"What happened?" Yamato ran into the room to see Mimi holding her hand, and inhaling through gritted teeth with her eyes sealed shut. He cursed, "I leave you alone for two minutes, and this happens?" Mimi tried to mask any indication on her pain, but Yamato could clearly see her facade. "Let me get a first aid kit." He ran off again. It didn't take long for him to return with a small plastic box and two rags. He rolled the chair near the bed and sat.

"Let me look at it." He commanded after dropping a the dry rag on the floor to clean up the spilled tea.

"No!" Mimi shook her head still holding her hand. "It's fine. You're gonna make it hurt a lot more!"

"If I don't treat it, it's going to hurt a lot more!" Yamato roared. Mimi lowered her head with her hair covering her face. Tears left her lashes and began to drop on her blanket. He sighed. "Do you trust me?"

Mimi shot her head up and looked into the cerulean eyes. "Eh?"

"I don't like to repeat myself." Yamato glared bringing his hand forth, hoping to meet her halfway. Mimi kept staring at Yamato. "I won't hurt you. I promise."

Her hand shook uncontrollably. She tightly closed her eyes and forced her hand on his. He smiled warmly.

"You promised." Mimi warned.

He examined the small read area on the back of her hand. "Good news: it's only a first degree burn, so you don't have to go to hospital." Yamato said taking the other damp rag.

"And the bad news…?" Eye still shut.

"There's no bad news. I'm going to cool it, okay?" He explained, putting the cool rag over the affected area. He began to softly pat the area down.

Mimi opened one eye and watched her hands as Yamato's gentle touches began to soothe the pain. She looked up and observed Yamato's careful attention to the wound. When Yamato noticed the stare, he looked up to Mimi meeting her gaze. For once Mimi was thankful for her fever as the familiar blush swept to her face. She lowered her eyed immediately to hide her embarrassment of being caught staring at him.

"Okay, time to bandage this bad boy." Yamato teased. Mimi released a little smile as Yamato loosely wrapped the bandage. When he was finished, he sighed and moved back. "See? Did it hurt?"

Mimi scrunched her lips to the side. "I was joking, you know." She commented, fixing herself on the bed as Yamato brought the kit back to the bathroom and brought in a new cup of water. "I wasn't in pain at all." She continued taking the new cup in her hands.

"You could've fooled me." Yamato sarcastically replied taking out two tablets of pills out of the bottle. "You were crying as if you were _really _in pain." He ended with a charming smile, presenting the pills to Mimi.

Mimi wrinkled her nose and snatched the pills. "Arigatou." She said plainly as she popped the pills into her mouth.

After the sip or water and the pills now swallowed, Mimi laid down in bed. Yamato gave Mimi a stern look. "Now, get some rest. Your body needs it." He gently tucked her in. "I have to get ready for work."

"Why do I have to sleep with a blanket?" Mimi asked before releasing a throaty cough. "I'm already feeling hot."

"Because you're sick and you need to sweat off the fever," Yamato said getting the rag he had rinsed. He folded the damp cloth into a rectangle and laid it across Mimi's forehead.

"And the washcloth?" Mimi asked staring at the white rough fabric on her head.

Yamato cocked his head to the side. "I'm trying to cure you, not give you hyperthermia." He scoffed collecting things that he had brought into her room. "Geez, it's like you've never been sick before."

Subconsciously, Mimi reached out and grabbed his white cotton school shirt. Yamato turned to face Mimi's thumb and index finger, holding the tail of his shirt, and then her face. She lips were pressed together and her eyes were casted away.

"Can you…" she began before another cough came from her mouth. She felt her face get red from embarrassment. "When I was sick at home with my mom, she would stay with me until I…" Mimi trailed off seeing Yamato's brow rise from the corner of her eyes. "Never mind."

"Come on." Yamato sighed. "What is it?" He asked as he cocked his head to the side.

"Nothing." Mimi retorted, pulling the blanket over her mouth. "Nothing. Have a good day at work." She spoke with muffled voice through the blanket.

Yamato sighed. He took the items with him out of the room, leaving Mimi alone in her bedroom. Mimi's groan was muffled through the covers. Her eyes closed shut and her hands gripped. _'Why did I even think about it?'_ She chided her own actions.

Soft footsteps echoed in the room. She opened her eyes to see Yamato pull the chair under him and sat. He opened his textbook and leaned back on the chair.

Mimi pushed the covers lower so that she was able to be heard. "What are you…?"

"I left you alone for two minutes and you burned your hand." He said plainly while looking a page in his textbook. "I better stay here till you sleep. If I leave you alone now, you might have this whole apartment on fire. That's what you wanted, right?" He didn't bother to wait for an answer, "Now if you don't mind…" Yamato brought his legs up on the bed, pushing her legs to make room. He crossed his ankles as his foot lightly tapped Mimi's leg through the blanket. "I need to study. Move over."

Mimi closed her eyes. She brought the blanket over her mouth again. "Arigatou." She whispered. The warm feeling erupted in her heart again. It overflowed and streamed throughout her body till the feel-good sensation was all over. It was strange, but very welcoming. Mimi smiled.

Soon Mimi drifted to sleep as Yamato studied by her side in silence.

* * *

_Sorry for the delay. I was waiting for my beta, but I did not hear from her yet. I hope she is well. Like many, I have to let the writing "cool down". I distance myself from a finished chapter, then make my edits. Therefore, in the meantime, please bear with me and any mistakes I make._

_This chapter was originally 28 pages, about 10,000 words. I decided to split this chapter because reading it all together felt a bit overwhelming. However, the next chapter will contain a climactic scene. Please look forward to it._

_I will get around to posting it maybe within the next month or so. I'm in my last year of school, so I am giving it my all. Wish me luck!_

_Please leave a review so that I know there are people reading this. (smiles) Thank you!_

_Till next time…!_


	11. I Have None, but One Regret

Chapter 11: I Have None but One Regret

* * *

Mimi woke up with the sound of the doorbell. She slowly pushed herself up from the bed and rubbed her eyes. Her migraine has finally settled and her strength started coming back. The now warm, wet washcloth plopped on her hand from her head. Her fingers rubbed the soft ridges of the cloth as she suddenly remembered that she was in the care of her roommate. She looked around to find any signs if Yamato was still in the room.

She looked at alarm clock then her study chair next to her. Yamato's English textbook laid on top of the chair's cushion. She sighed. "He must've left for work already." Mimi's thoughts were interrupted again when the doorbell rang again. She pulled the covers off and slipped on her house slippers and dragged her feet to the front door.

Mimi was amazed by how a nap cured her symptoms. The room did not spin as it used to this morning. Her feet did not feel as heavy as she walked. She did not feel as warm as she had felt when she first got home. Who knew that a little shut eye could do so much?

She didn't bother to think about looking through the peep hole of the door. Her hands automatically reached for the locks and began to unlock the door. When she opened it, she was greeted by a fellow brunette.

"How are you feeling?" Taichi asked giving a small smile.

Mimi smiled a bit as she leaned on the door frame with her arms crossed. She tried to mask a cough that erupted from her mouth swiftly moving her head to the side. Before she brought her attention back to Taichi, she tucked in a loose strand of hair or two behind her ear and smiled.

"Better." Mimi summed up her feelings in one word. "I think rest was what I needed most. I still feel a little hot though."

"I see." Taichi looked around for a couple of seconds before coming up with the courage to ask. "May I come in?" When Taichi saw Mimi's mouth opened with no audible words came out, he quickly added, "I-I mean, I have stuff for Yamato." Taichi waved the bunch of little shopping paper bags. On the other hand, he brought up a bouquet of flowers wrapped in a clear wrap and his school bag. "They're from a group of girls from school. I don't know who they are, but it would be a waste to throw them out without him even knowing they exist. He left school and didn't come back. I figured he came here."

"Oh, o-of course," Mimi stuttered seeing a collection of colorful little paper bags with handles on one hand. She opened the door wider and stepped aside allowing Taichi to come in.

"I bumped into Izumi-kun when I left school." Taichi added. "He gave me a couple of books for you, saying that you have a Mathematics test on Monday and, since you're sick, you should be able study."

Mimi rolled her eyes. _'Thanks, Koushiro-kun.'_

After Taichi took off his shoes, he walked into the living room and placed all of the bags on the couch next to Yamato and Mimi's school bags. He looked around awkwardly as if he has never seen the inside of the apartment before. Mimi noted the look in his eye, the say-something-before-it-gets-awkward look.

"So…" he started when he saw Mimi following him in. He leaned his rear on the back of the couch. "Do you know when Yamato is supposed to be back?"

"He said he was going to work." Mimi said softly rubbing one arm. Her eyes trailed to the DVD player under the TV that displayed the time. "It's close to dinner, so I am guessing he's going to be home soon."

Taichi nodded as the look in his eye spoke his thoughts once again. He started playing with his hands before he realized the items he was holding."Oh! These are not from the girls."

Taichi raised the bouquet comprising of yellow Peruvian lilies, white daises and yellow button pompoms. "It's for me—wait! I wasn't supposed to say that!" Taichi laughed shaking his head. "These are for you." He extended the small bouquet to Mimi who accepted it gingerly.

For a while, the only sounds that echoed throughout the room were the crackling noises from the plastic cellophane. "The lady at the florist shop said they're supposed to convey a 'get well' message." Taichi looked away and rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger, appearing a little satisfied with himself.

Mimi smiled, holding the small bundle in her grasp. "They're lovely."

Tachi's eyes found Mimi's hand wrapped around a white bandage. "What happened to your hand?" He stood upright taking Mimi's bandaged hand into his.

"Oh!" Mimi, caught by surprised, took a step back and remembered her hand. She slowly opened and closed her fist, testing out the condition of her hand. "I spilled hot tea on my hand. It's nothing serious."

"So you're okay?" He pegged on.

"Mmm-hmm." She giggled before sticking her tongue out. "You know me. My clumsiness is one of my bad traits—"

"—it's not!" Taichi jumped in. "It's actually one of the cute things about you." He coughed, using his fist to block the sudden redness in his face. As Tacihi's eyes wandered to another part of the room, Mimi could tell he tried to bring himself together. He looked distracted, almost like he had another thought taking over his mind. All theories vanished as he took hold of her better hand. "I-I want to tell you something important that I didn't have a chance to tell you yesterday."

Mimi's mind suddenly clicked. This was an moment that she hoped would happen once in her life, especially by Taichi: _the_ confession, the courage to take a relationship further than friendship. She had seen movies and television dramas depicting this event. The girl would get flustered while the guy tries to keep his ground. This is the part where girls' hearts melt. This is the part where happily ever after starts. This is the moment!

Yet…why was it not as magical as she had hoped for? As special? As romantic?

She then noticed something that she had never caught her attention before: his hands. It was soft, despite possessing an athletic roughness to it, warm, pleasant, but it didn't have the magical, special, romantic feeling that she'd thought there would be. Not like…

"_Tadaima!"_

The front door opened and out a familiar voice came. Unknowingly, Mimi immediately pulled her hand away from Taichi and looked down. "A-ano…" Mimi stuttered, suddenly perplexed by her own actions. Her thoughts were scattered and it did not seem like it was going to piece back together any time soon. "Thank you… for the flowers I mean." She awkwardly brought a couple of loose strands of her hair behind her ear while avoiding Taichi's gaze.

Before Taichi could reply, the sound of Yamato closing the apartment door while the plastic bag of what Mimi assumed where groceries rustling in his grasp rang to her ears.

"_Mimi,_" He called out her name while focusing solely on putting on his house slippers. "_Dinner will be ready in a while. I'm making okayu (1) and other stuff tonight. I invited Taichi tonight. He's also bringing a guest. It might be his sister, but, just in case, make sure you don't look hideous you look like now."_ He laughed.

Yamato walked into the living and caught sight of his best friend. Mimi didn't realize how his facial expression suddenly fell. Taichi's presence must've taken him by surprise. "Hey, Taichi. I thought I told you to stop by later."

"Yo," Taichi responded as his eyes blinked repeatedly. "I know but…I came to check up on Mimi… and to drop off some things." Taichi motioned to the paper shopping bags on the couch.

"She's fine." Yamato replied not even bothering to look at Mimi. "I have it under control." He commented, sounding a tad more irritated by the second.

"Kay," Taichi said scratched the back of his head. "I should get going now." Taichi excused himself and headed towards the front door. He hurriedly slipped on his shoes. "I'll see you later." Taichi closed the door leaving Yamato and Mimi alone.

After a moment of silence, Yamato and Mimi's gazes met. She felt Yamato's stare belittling her. His cerulean eyes glowered, expressing his anger with a hint of sadness. That was when Mimi felt a tiny pang in her stomach for reasons unknown. She quickly averted her flat mate's stare and walked to the kitchen to fetch something to put the flowers in. She frowned slightly when she heard Yamato's feet following her.

"What was Taichi doing here?" He asked stopping just after the kitchen's doorway.

'_Don't look at him. Don't look at him'_

"As he said," Mimi opened the cupboards, "He dropped off things that belong to you." Mimi reached for a pitcher and turned towards the sink.

"And checking up on you?" Yamato questioned stepping rather close.

Mimi gulped. She knew by now, by the tone of his voice, that he was agitated. If she wanted to avoid another full-out argument, she should keep her mouth shut. She turned the valve, causing the water to stop, and placed the flowers in the pitcher. She walked around him and headed towards her room. "You didn't answer my question, woman." He added as he followed in hot pursuit.

But it's not like her to keep things quiet…

"You were not asking. You were interrogating!" Mimi yelled followed by a cough. "I already told you he came here to drop off things." Mimi placed the flowers near her bed stand.

Yamato stood at the girl's doorway. "Then what is this 'checking up on you' shit?"

Mimi turned and seethed. "He just gave me flowers." She explained rather loudly. "What's wrong with giving me flowers?"

"He's a _guy_, Mimi." Yamato roared pointing to the closed front door, fuming.

"So what?" Mimi's temper flared. "What does that make you then, huh? A girl?"

Yamato retaliated with a dark look in his eyes. "You know what I meant, Mimi."

"No, I don't, Yamato." Mimi shook her head, putting her hands on her hips, obviously defying him.

"Taichi's a guy, a male, a man. You were alone with a man, Mimi!" Yamato roared making the necessary gentures. "Anything could have happened. You—"

"What about you?" Mimi retorted, interrupting Yamato mid-sentence. When Yamato did not reply for five seconds, Mimi continued. "You… you are a guy too, right? Why do I have to be careful around Taichi, but not you? You said so yourself. He's a nice guy."

Yamato opened his mouth, but closed it right away. He obviously had to rethink his response. "…I will keep you safe." Yamato swallowed hard, "Taichi… he's a good guy, but I cannot—never mind." Yamato turned around waving his arms around, signifying his inevitable surrender.

"Finish your sentence!" Mimi commanded.

"I'm going to make dinner." Yamato slammed the bedroom door shut.

Mimi's pride beamed brighter than usual. He was _obviously _making her look like a fool. Sick or not, the last thing Tachikawa Mimi wants –ever—is to be made a fool. She roared, "He was watching out for me! He wasn't the asshole who left me to go to work!"

"_For your information, I went to get groceries!"_ Yamato yelled. _"It would be irresponsible of me to leave your sick ass here alone!"_

Mimi felt her blood explode past its boiling point. She was angry and had nothing else to respond with. "Why does it feel like I'm talking to the wall every time I have to speak to you?" Mimi coughed loud enough for Yamato to hear.

"_Well, maybe you __**are**__ talking to the wall seeing that the door is closed and I'm not in the room."_ Yamato yelled through the door.

Mimi roared her frustrations out, then groveled to her bed and sat on it. She crossed her legs over each other, yanked her pillow, and punched it. "Stupid Yamato… stupid, stupid, stupid!" She landed a punch each time, finishing her actions by screaming into the pillow.

With her annoyance still floating around her head, she pulled up her blanket over her head. She breathed hard through her nostrils as her anger began to flow out. After moments of deep breathing, Mimi felt her adrenaline cool down.

Mimi stared down at her pillow and pouted her lips. She thought of what she had said to him. She felt worse when she thought of how Yamato left school to take care of her. '_I shouldn't have said things like that._' Mimi smoothed out the wrinkles she made on her pillow. _'Mou, he must be mad at me now. The last thing I want is for him to be mad right now.'_ After a few more strokes, Mimi stopped.

She observed the neatly wrapped bandage on her hand and remembered the times Yamato had taken her hands into his. Though the situations were not romantic; _it _was there, the feeling, _that _feeling.

Mimi's eyes suddenly opened wide. "Eh?" She asked herself by moving her head up. _'Why am I even… No! __**Taichi **__is the one that matters. Does that mean—?_' The mere idea made her eyes even wider.

The brunette slammed her head into the pillow and pulled the blanket over her head. She screamed into the pillow again, creating a muffled sound. When all the air was out, Mimi collapsed forward making a soft thud noise on the bed. "Dammit." She cursed.

* * *

Mimi opened her bedroom door. It had been nearly an hour since they last spoke, and quite frankly, it gave her time to think. There was something she needed to sort out, and thankfully, she was able to think it through.

She came out of her room and walked down the hallway. She peered through the window dividing the dining room area and the kitchen. Yamato, dressed in his apron and bandana, had his back towards Mimi as it seemed all his attention was fixated on the food.

"_Guu-do Ah-ta-nuu-n! Hah wa yuu?"_ Yamato said to no one in particular as he continued to stir the pot. Mimi watched him move the small textbook closer to his face as he tried to read the letters on the page. _"I—"_ He paused. One hand lowered the ladle while the other scratched his head for a few seconds before grunting in frustration. "This is stupid. Why do we have to learn English in school?"

"Is it almost ready?" Mimi politely asked causing Yamato to jerk in shock.

He lowered the book and turned. "When did the beast step out of her room?" Yamato asked, moving away from the stove. "I was hoping you would be asleep till tomorrow morning." He scoffed moving towards the fridge. "You were so hot headed that I thought you were gonna float all the way up to the sky."

"Fat chance." Mimi smirked seeing the tableware on the counter of the window. She took the bowls and set them around the table.

Silence still engulfed the room as Mimi placed each table setting around the table. She knew she had to make the first move, but was obviously too proud to say it.

She took a deep breath. "Yamato?"

"Hmm?" He responded, still keeping his attention towards the pot on the stove.

She took a deep breath again. "I—" She gulped. Why was this so hard, "—I'm sorry. You were taking care of me, and I yelled at you."

When her eyes met with Yamato's, she suddenly felt an embarrassed blush roam to her cheeks. Immediately, Mimi looked down, hiding and sheltering whatever pride she had left. She heard Yamato's chuckle and then looked up. She was able to see the small smile on his face before he turned back to the stove.

'_I guess all is forgiven, I guess.' _"So… what were you practicing?" She asked, attempting to make small talk.

Yamato froze momentarily, and then continued to open the fridge. "Practicing?" He bent down looking for some ingredients for the soup.

"I'm not stupid. You were practicing English, right?" Mimi answered. _"Hah wa yuu?" _She imitated followed by a light chuckle. "You sound like the elementary school kids."

"I have no idea what are you talking about." Yamato took out his chopping board, settling it on the table near the kitchen window. After he chopped the scallions to pieces, he looked up to see Mimi staring at him with her don't-be-shy-and-just-tell-me face. He said plainly with a small flush in his cheeks, "Stop it."

"You were practicing English." Mimi's smile beamed as Yamato walked away from the girl. "Why are you being so cold?" Mimi asked with her arms crossed and leaning on the window frame. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"You're going to have okayu and only okayu."

"Okayu?" Mimi whined. "Why do I have to eat only that? I see a lot of delicious dishes for me to feast on!" Mimi winked.

"You're sick. You do not have a sense of taste. It would be a waste for you to eat anything else." Yamato continued to stir the soup.

With puffed cheeks, Mimi made her way towards the kitchen. Yamato took a bowl and poured a portion of the soup into it. With his attention on the soup and the toppings, Mimi snatched the book on the counter.

Yamato's surprised reaction was plastered on his face as Mimi flipped through the book. She obviously had chosen the perfect timing since his hands were preoccupied and had no time to react properly. "Give me back my textbook. I have a test on Monday!" Yamato glared.

"So you were studying. What's wrong with that?" Mimi asked flipping through pages. She gazed at Yamato who looked away shamefully. "Don't tell me you're terrible at the English language."

"I can write well." Yamato looked towards another direction. "I am just terrible at reading the words and definitions." His nostrils flared in annoyance. "Why does this world have to use English anyway?"

Mimi made a crooked smile. She swayed as if she was leading towards a conclusion. "I'm actually very good at English."

Yamato raised a brow. "Are you?"

"Yeah," Mimi skimmed through the book, twirling to the other side of the window. "Granted, there are still words I'm not familiar with, but generally, I am really good."

Yamato shook his head. He continued pouring soup into with another bowl after he placed the last one on a tray. "I'm a grade higher than you. My level is higher too. I don't think you can—"

"_This is Jenny. She is an athlete. She plays basketball with her teammates. She is very good because she practices every day. Because she and her team are champions, Jenny is very popular."_ Mimi read the short passage. When she finished, she closed the book and cocked her head. "Not bad, ne?" She ended with a wink.

Yamato glared at the brunette before picking up the tray of bowls. He walked to the dining room and placed the tray down on the side of the table. He sighed, turning to the brunette. "What does '_champions' _mean?"

Mimi smiled and approached Yamato and showed him the passage. For the next several minutes, Mimi had explained most of the material that was expected on his test as he prepared the dishes for dinner.

Mimi found it rare that there was something that she was able to help him instead of the other way around. It made her feel… well, appreciated.

Yamato squinted at the new word that Mimi pointed to before putting a set of chopsticks in front of a chair's placement. "Eh-me-die-ah-teh-ree."

"Immediately." Mimi corrected pointing to the word. "You should take it part by part. Emme-dee-at-ly."

"Emme-die-ah-teh-ree."

"The _d-i-a-t-e-l-y _in this word is pronounce dee-at-ly, not _die-_ah-teh-ree. The _a and t _are pronounced together, _at_. And it's _ee—EEE!_"

"Then why on this word, _diagonally,_ the _d-i-a _is pronounced _die-ah_?"

"English is a funny language. That's all." Mimi shrugged.

"Who invented this god forsaken language?" Yamato snarled causing Mimi to laugh. Yamato glanced at the time and stood up. "Taichi should be here soon. I should take the rice out." He stood up from his seat in the dining room table and walked to the kitchen.

"I'll put your book in your room, okay?" Yamato waved his hand allowing Mimi to continue whatever she intended on doing. She took the textbook and walked towards his room.

On the way there, she became distracted by the sight of the colored paper bag still on the couch. Mimi peeked to see if Yamato had been watching. She thanked God that he was working on dinner. In one quick sly move, she took one bag with her as she disappeared into the hallway. She opened the bag and saw a small note inside. Folded in its pastel pink, Mimi felt the note's temptation.

After looking to see if Yamato was still occupied with dinner, Mimi took the note out and read silently.

_To Ishida-senpai,_

_I know that you do not know who I am and I am fine with that. You are a very cool and smart upper classman. I know you may not return my feelings because you are going out with Tachikawa-san, but I hope this makes your day. Happy Birthday._

_-heart- Himura Yukari_

_Class 2-A_

Mimi wrinkled her face. Is this even right? "Is today his birthday?" Mimi asked herself. She looked at the note's date.

'_Shit.' _She was his roommate, maybe one of the closest people he has in the whole school, and someone from his fan club knew his birthday and she didn't?

When she heard Yamato close the rice cooker, she shoved the note back in the bag and casually walked back into the room. She managed to carefully put the bag back in its place before slipping into the dining room again.

After placed the last bowl on the table, Yamato squinted his eyes and focused on Mimi's hand. "Why are you still holding my textbook?" He asked. "I thought you were putting that away for me."

"Eh?" Mimi's eyes went wide as she looked down on her hand. Shit. "I-I wanted to surprise test you." Mimi waved her hands about, trying to be cool about the matter. She opened the book and began flipping through pages.

"Excuse me?"

"Ah-ah-ah-ah!" Mimi waved her index finger. "English only please." Mimi cleared her throat but a cough suddenly came out.

"Mou…!" Yamato groaned rolling his eyes.

"_Good afternoon. How are you?" _Mimi started.

Yamato sighed. "_I ahm fine. And yuu?"_

"_I am thirsty. What can I drink?"_

Yamato paused. "Water?"

"English, Yamato. English!" Mimi exclaimed.

Yamato groaned. He closed his eyes shut, hoping that memory would meet him halfway. "_Wah-ta? Yuu rike wah-tah?"_ Yamato tried his best to say it as clearly as he could.

"_Yes, that would be nice. Thank you._" Mimi smiled as Yamato moved to the glass on the table.

"Seriously, Mimi," Yamato handed the girl the glass before scratching the side of his head. "I don't know how you could memorize this."

The doorbell rang. Mimi looked at the door, then Yamato. "_I will open the door."_

"Cut this English shit." Yamato scoffed taking some of the dishes in the kitchen. "We have guests over."

Mimi shook her head and opened the door without looking through the peephole. Instead of seeing the goofy brunette or the charming younger sister, she was greeted by a blonde with wide blue eyes. He stood still with a torn piece of paper between his thumb and index finger. By the looks of this young boy, he was equally surprised by Mimi's appearance.

Mimi examined his face. What notably surprised her were his eyes. She could see the confusion in them and yet, his face showed no indication of any emotion. The green colors on his shirt reminded her of…

That is when Mimi realized where she had seen him before. "You…" She started, failing to find the words she needed to say.

"You're that girl in the concert, correct? I'm sorry. I must have the wrong address." The boy lowered his gaze to the written piece of paper. "I'm looking for Ishida Yamato. Would you happen to know where he lives?"

"_Yo, Mi-chin, invite them in. Dinner is going to get cold!"_ Yamato yelled.

Mimi swallowed hard. This boy was not Taichi, and couldn't pass for Hikari. He did look lost though. He appeared to be walking around the area for a while by the flushed checks due the increasing cold air from the night's air. Despite being fruitless in his search, he was polite enough not to look behind Mimi and pry into her business.

"I apologize." The young boy bowed. "I did not mean to disturb you. Good night."

"Mi-chan, let them in." Yamato sighed in annoyance, thinking that Mimi was keeping their guests at the front door. He walked to the front door to greet his guests, but froze seeing someone he had not expected. He stepped in front of Mimi, taking her position near the door. He pushed her a pit further back, signifying that he wished to have some privacy with this kid. When his vision was fixated at the sight of the younger man standing in their doorway, Yamato blinked. The boy stiffened at the sight of Yamato. The boy took a small step back, almost as if he regretted even ringing the doorbell. "How did you find me?" Yamato exhaled.

The boy shook. He appeared more nervous than anything. "It took a while, but I was able to find you." The boy replied looking down. "I…" He started before summing up the courage to speak. He looked up and said, "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

A burst of air escaped from Yamato's nostrils. "Do _they_ know you're here?"

"Yes." The boy nodded. After a moment, he looked down and shook his head. "Not exactly _here_. They know I'm in the area, but they think I'm at a friend's house nearby."

Yamato sighed, opening the door wider. "Come in. At least eat before you go home." He said in a monotone.

"Excuse me." The boy said politely as he removed his sneakers at the genkan. He advanced into the apartment taking a quick look around. "You have a nice place." He commented when his stare landed on Yamato.

"I try to keep it clean." Yamato said with a smirk following the new guest. "Sit," Yamato motioned to the dining room table, "I'll set you a place."

Mimi blinked staying her place at the front door, wondering what had just happened. About an hour ago, Yamato had given her a lecture about having male visitors, but he lets this one—this unknown visitor—into their home. And now he's making a place on the table for this guy? She cocked her head to the side and chose to dismiss any theories that began to form in her mind.

Rule number one: if it seems like a personal matter, it's best not to butt in.

As she began to close behind her, there was a light tap on the door. Mimi popped her head to the side and smiled a warm greeting. "Taichi! Sora! Hikari!"

"Hallo!" Hikari cheered.

"Konbanwa," Sora bowed politely as Taichi saluted.

"Come in." Mimi opened the door allowing the new guests to arrive.

"Konbanwa, Yamato—Takeru?" Sora exclaimed seeing the boy sitting in in the dining room.

Takeru turned around and stood up from the chair. He stood up boldly after Sora asked, "What are you doing here?"

"Sora-chan!" Takeru exclaimed standing up acknowledging the redhead's presence.

"Takeru-kun! How are you?" Taichi laughed crossing his arms behind his head. "Looking sharp as always," Taichi playfully ruffled the younger boy's head through his Gilligan hat.

Mimi ran into the room neglecting close the front door. She stood next to Hikari who politely stayed next to the living room couch. "Taichi, how do you know this boy?"

"How do you _not _know him?" Taichi asked looking at Mimi then lightly punched Takeru's shoulder. "This is Yamato's younger brother, Takeru."

"Younger brother?" Mimi asked wide eyes staring at the older brunette then to the younger blonde.

"And who is she, Taichi-san?" Takeru asked formally, looking at Mimi.

"Oh, you don't know?" Taichi asked not noticing the warning facial expressions Yamato was creating through the kitchen window. Yamato waved his arms around, trying to catch the star athlete's attention. He crossed his forearms to represent an x and held it up high enough to cover his face. "This is Tachikawa Mimi, your brother's roommate." Taichi ended with a smile.

There was an odd silence in the room as an awkward tension filled the air. Yamato sighed and placed a palm on his forehead and shook his head, obviously embarrassed by the sudden truth.

Takeru blinked several times. Takeru casted glances at Sora, who averted Takeru's stare. He swiftly turned towards Mimi. "You're living in this apartment with my brother?" He asked Mimi, who responded with a face just as dumbfounded.

"Well, don't say it like it's a good thing." Mimi pouted putting her hands on her hips.

"Excuse us." Yamato interrupted looping his arms around Mimi and Taichi's arms, pulling the two aside.

Yamato closed his eyes while Mimi and Taichi blinked theirs wondering why Yamato had to pulled them over. Yamato swayed back and forth deciding on how to handle their predicament. "Let me share something with you both: no one in my family knows that I am living here. Heck, they don't even know about my predicament with Mimi."

"How can you _not _tell your family that you're living with Mimi?" Taichi asked scratching his head. "It's not the type of news you'd have to keep secret forever—"

"It isn't news you share at a dinner table either!" Yamato's eyes flared open.

Mimi's vision lowered. She could understand Yamato's request to keep their situation quiet from his parents, but his brother too? Mimi is an only child, and never had the wondrous experience of having a sibling. Yet, through her manga and drama storylines, she could tell that it was a deeper and more personal bond than a parent-child bond. So why would he hide that too?

"And why did you bring Sora here?" Yamato continued as Mimi mused herself with her thoughts.

"Oh, heh," Taichi scratched the back of his neck. "I saw her wondering around and I invited her. I could've told you, but it'd ruin the surprise." Taichi released a nervous chuckle. Seeing the glare in Yamato's eyes spoke otherwise, "Not that you have enough surprises already."

Yamato sighed. "You really know how to fuck up my day, don't you?"

"You haven't been honest too!" Mimi stomped, finally relating her thoughts with what was happening. "Don't blame it on him!"

"What? What the hell, I blame you too!" Yamato's glare moved to his roommate. Mimi stiffened at the cold stare.

"Wha-what did I do this time?" Mimi lightly placed a hand over her chest.

"Why didn't you tell me that _he _was at the door?"

"And I'm supposed to know who _he _is? You should've told me that _he _was your brother. Heck, you should've told me you _had _a brother." Mimi poked Yamato's chest. Mimi faced Taichi, "And you knew too?"

Taichi nervously chuckled again, "Well, the idea never really crossed my mind."

Yamato massaged his head. He looked up and noticed the open door of their apartment. He cursed silently as he walked towards the door. When his hand held the handle, he cursed again. "Goddammit." He hissed to Mimi and Taichi. "He's going to have to go home after this. What if he tells my parents where I live or worse that I'm rooming with a girl?"

"I'm still hung up as to why doesn't anyone tell me anything?" She asked ending with a sneeze.

"_Excuse me."_ All heads turned towards the open front door.

Ignoring the questionable stares, Miyako slowly entered the apartment. She made a small innocent smile as she slipped off her flats and hopped into the living room. "I was worried about you, Mimi-chan. How are you feeling? I wanted to check up…" Miyako turned on her heels and gazed at the other guests. She turned back to Mimi and asked with doe-like eyes, "…is there a party?"

"Mmm… sort of." Mimi mumbled as her eyes averted.

"And no one invited me?" Miyako asked in shook. She quickly twirled. "_Hello!"_ Miyako greeted with her arms open wide. "Great party!"

"Miyako," Mimi stood next to her best friend with her arms crossed over her chest, "what are you doing here?" She finally asked in a tone as loud as a whisper.

"I came in because I saw the door open, Mimi! I came to visit you! I'm hoping you're feeling better." Miyako's attention strayed from Mimi to the younger blonde.

"My, my, hello." Miyako smiled grabbing the boy's hand and shook it violently. Not meaning to be rude, Takeru followed the handshake, despite the increasing amount of awkwardness he sensed.

"Mimi-chan," Miyako asked over her shoulder without breaking her stare, "Who is guy anyway?

"Him?" Mimi confirmed the boy, oblivious to the same warning signs that Yamato was creating. "This is Yamato's brother—" When Mimi caught sight of Yamato slapping his palm on his forehead, Mimi had to ask, "What?"

Miyako's action slowly came to a halt as her eyes grew wider and her mouth shrunk almost to the size of a dot. "—Oh my! You're Takeru? _The _Takeru? You're Yamato's brother, aren't you?" Miyako released her hands and spread out her fingers and wailed.

Yamato nudged Mimi, who covered her face in embarrassment. "And _this _is why we don't tell you anything." He motioned to Miyako as she started to smile brightly.

Mimi puffed her cheeks. Before Mimi could argue back, Yamato glared at her. "Go to your room." He commanded gesturing with his eyes. "I will escort her out."

"Yama—"

"Go." Yamato glared. This time, his finger pointed down the not-so-long corridor. "If you spend any more time here, half of the school will show up."

"_Miyako, I told you to hold the elevator,"_ Koushiro's voice rang. "Hey, Mimi, you left the door open." Koushiro halted seeing stares come his way. "Was this a bad time?"

The two roommates blinked several times. "I'm going to my room." Mimi mumbled under her breath without looking at the blond next to her.

"Oh, you better." Yamato spoke immediately, making his way towards the front door.

* * *

Mimi sat on her bed with her legs under her covers, twiddling with the object in her hands. The pads of her fingertips finally skimmed over the envelope's rough paper surface. She bit a small piece of her bottom lip then brought her knees up. As one arm wrapped around her knees to secure it, the other moved up to make the tip of the envelope lightly tap her bottom lip.

_To give or not to give… that is the question._ Mimi contemplated, taking another moment to gaze at the envelope. _If he wanted me to know, he would've said something, right?_ Mimi kept playing with the pale blue envelope till a knock was heard.

Immediately, Yamato opened the door. As a nervous reaction, Mimi quickly tried to hide the envelope under the blanket. The pesky folded paper decided to jump out of her hands and decided to play a game of tag. Thankfully, Mimi won after two tries and stuffed the parchment on the side of the bed opposite of the door's entrance.

Yamato lifted his brow. "It's late. Hungry?"

"Y-yeah." Mimi laughed dryly, giving Yamato more reason to be suspicious.

He walked forward and sat on the chair next to her bed. He lowered the bowl down onto her night stand. "Everyone left already. Were you able to sleep a little?" He asked bringing a hand to touch her forehead. Mimi's flushed face lowered. "You're fever is not as bad as before." He commented comparing her temperature with his own.

"I-I didn't." Mimi shook her head, hoping for him to end his small examination. "Sleep, I mean. I tried though."

"Hmm," Yamato made small nod. He ended the test and moved toward the soup he brought for Mimi.

As he was mixing the okayu together, Mimi stared at Yamato's face. He looked tired and stressed. The light in his eyes seemed faded, like all the energy that was in it earlier is gone. She lowered her head. When she was finally able to summon enough courage, she asked, "So why didn't you tell me?"

"I told you that Taichi was coming—" Yamato's nose flared, getting ready for another heated argument.

"Not him." Mimi responded curtly. Yamato met her gaze with the corner of his eye. "You know," She started, "about your birthday." She whispered, embarrassed that she was bringing up the topic.

Yamato heavily sighed. He released the spoon and laid his hands on his thighs. He tilted his head towards Mimi and sighed, "So who told you?"

Mimi left a pang of guilt wash over her. She knew that rubbing her nose in other's business was wrong, but she couldn't help it. She was downright curious. She brought her legs up and her toes started curling over each other. Mimi looked down and wrapped her arms around her legs.

Yamato observed her actions. "Mimi…" He said in a low voice trying to get his roommate to say something.

Mimi scrunched her face together. _Oh, the guilt. _"Okay, okay." Mimi whined. She buried her head in her arms and legs and mumbled.

"What did you do?"

"I first found out by reading your birthday card." Mimi repeating with her head still hung in shame. "I know it's your privacy, but I was so curious about all. Then I overheard you talking to your brother and—"

"Which card are you talking about? You didn't read _that _one, did you?" Yamato asked raising a brow, over exaggerating the situation.

One of Mimi's eyes peeped through her loose strands falling out of her messy bun. "Was there something I was not supposed to read?"

"No," Yamato replied plainly with a small smile. "Your guilt just amuses me."

Mimi heavily sighed. She slid her legs down and fixed her posture again. She stared blankly into Yamato's eyes. He looked guilty about not telling her.

'_I guess we're even today…'_

"Now that that's out of the way, do you mind honestly answering a question of mine?" Mimi asked shyly.

The mere thought intrigued Yamato. "Shoot." He blinked.

"Why didn't you just tell me it's your birthday?" Mimi asked honestly. She didn't know why she asked. It could've been a personal matter, and she was poking him to explain. When Yamato replied with multiple blinks, for some odd reason, she felt embarrassed, flustered. Damn curiosity! She lowered her gazed again and twiddled her thumbs. "I mean, it's a big deal. Everyone celebrates their—"

"—it's not usually done in my house." Yamato said which his own gaze lowered to his meshed hands. "It's not a special holiday or anything like that. It's just the day that one is born."

"And how is that not special?" Mimi questioned staring at Yamato's head as it sprang up to counter her stare. "In my family, we celebrate birthdays. We get a small cake, a gift, and sometimes we go out for dinner." Mimi slowly brought her right hand over to her heart. Her vision graced over to her palm as she felt her heart make a beat or two. "Birthdays… they are specials because they remind us of something important." She looked up to meet Yamato's blue eyes again. "That you are alive and with me here—!"

Mimi choked, not meaning to rant—or saying anything _mortifying_—to her roommate. She just wanted to be honest.

The brunette lowered her reddened cheeks. "Never mind," she mumbled, fidgeting again.

Yamato chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry."

With all the distractions going in her head, she failed to notice Yamato's keen observance to the pastel envelope creeping its way toward his area of vision. "What's this?" He reached over and grabbed the envelope and began to flip open the top flap.

"N-No, wait!" Mimi said nervously. Yamato immediately stood up and power walked to the furthest corner of the room and pulled out the folded parchment from the envelope's throat. In the midst of her embarrassment, Mimi gulped loudly and tried to refrain from crying due to her lack of courage to give it to him personally rather than having him snatching it away from her.

_Yamato,_

_We've been forced to live with each over for about four months and it has been torture. You were the __**only **__person to bring forth havoc into my life. From being harassed by underclassmen to possibly ruining my chances of having a relationship, I never had a chance to say something that you deserve: thank you. _

_Despite that null, sarcastic, dark void in your chest—that you call a heart—you are sensible, caring, and reliable. And I will admit, that null, sarcastic, dark void could be—yes, __**could be**__—a good heart._

_There will be more challenges and bumps on the road of life as we continue living in this apartment together, but I am certain that you will succeed because you're that amazing. Happy Birthday, Yamato._

_Mimi_

_Ps. (2) You have given me nothing but bad luck, and I am sure that I have given you some in return. Therefore, I am giving this to you. Do not lose it. I know where you live, asshole._

Yamato was about to ask about the last paragraph, when he noticed a strange stuffing in the envelope. He pulled it out by its strings and noticed something familiar. It was the omamori that Mimi had lent him yesterday. He licked his lips with an amused expression in his face and fisted the charm grasping the small green fabric. His eyes peered at Mimi who already hid her face behind her hands in embarrassment.

He sat on the chair next to her bed again. He lightly growled. "Mimi, put your hands down." The girl violently shook her head. Yamato repeated Mimi's name once more. She eventually complied, lowering her hands as the revealing a tint of pink on her face glowed brighter by the second.

Yamato placed his free hand on her forehead, pushing back her bangs from her face as she turned to look at him. He made a cheeky smile. He raised his other hand making the small charm to dangle in the air. "I like it. Thank you."

Mimi nodded slightly, concealing the happiness that erupted form her heart.

"Your fever is getting better." He removed his hand and faced towards the rice porridge he made. "I guess after a good night's rest and eating a healthy dinner, you'll get better by tomorrow morning. Come on, open wide." He brought the spoonful out and hovered it near her face.

Mimi's eyes narrowed. "I can feed myself."

"Just comply for once," Yamato snarled, "for my birthday, at least."

Mimi made a small smile.

She gave in.

She opened her mouth wide as Yamato flew the spoon into her mouth. After making a small chomp sound, Mimi's lips swept up the contents of the spoon. "That's a good girl." Yamato praised Mimi as if she was his pet. He also ruffled the top of her head causing strands to fall out of her bun.

Strangely enough, Mimi didn't glare or made a curt reply. She smiled. She smiled and laughed, trying to keep the bits of rice and chicken from slipping past her lips.

With her left wrist cover her mouth, Mimi playfully hit Yamato with her right hand, as he responded with his own fits of laughter.

A light ring that came from outside echoed through the walls. After swallowing her bite, Mimi looked at Yamato and said, "I guess it's close to midnight."

'_It's the eleventh hour, Mimi.'_

"Yeah, I guess it is." Yamato smirked, distracting his eyes by mixing the okayu with the spoon. "My day is gonna end in less than a minute." Yamato nodded slowly before looking up at Mimi. "Glad to spend it with you."

'_Now's a good time to say it!'_

Mimi's heart thumped frantically. It was scary, but very pleasing. It was like a quick adrenaline rush, but it wasn't like she needed to jump. It felt like she needed to act now. She smiled warmly. "Happy Birthday, Yamato."

In return, he smiled back. "Arigatou."

It was now midnight. His birthday was now over. Mimi felt this jubilant aura swipe across her body as Yamato smiled and continued to feed her okayu. As the new day began, Mimi came to realize she wished she had enough courage to end the letter the way, she felt, was meant to be.

_Pss. I think I like you._

* * *

(1) _Japanese rice porridge_  
(2) _Post-script: it's more like an afterthought after you complete your letter, which normally does not fit with your letter. Pss stands for an afterthought after the initial afterthought._

Hehe, that just put me in a giggly mood (_smiles_). So here it is! The moment that we all were waiting for (somewhat for some): the big realization that _the _feelings exists! There were many different ideas of how the scene was supposed to be done. It wasn't _exactly _how I planned it, but its close enough. And, to be honest, I like the way this came out.

It's cute, ne?

Back when this was in its early stages, I promised myself that when Mimi does come into acceptance of her feelings towards Yamato, it would be at least one-third way of the story. I haven't decided if this should be the one-third of the story or half…

Either way, the story is slowly coming along.

I know there's information (somewhere in the world wide web) that Yamato's birthday is in April. I am not sure if this is official information, so I up and decided to make my own.

So what's going to happen, now that Mimi has come to terms with her feelings? Tell me! It might inspire some future events. -hint hint-  
If there are any errors, please let me know too!

Till next time…!


End file.
